The BEST Pizza Sauce is easy to make, luxuriously thick, and loaded with flavor. This homemade pizza sauce recipe will take your favorite pizza to the next level, and it also makes an amazing dipping sauce!
Course Pantry Staples
Cuisine Italian
Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time 25 minutesminutes
Total Time 30 minutesminutes
Servings 16servings (this recipe yields 1 heaping cup total)
In a small saucepan set over medium heat, stir together the tomato puree/sauce, tomato paste, sugar, basil, oregano, parsley, thyme, crushed fennel seeds, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer, reduce to a low simmer (occasional bubbles) and cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until thick and flavorful, stirring every 5 minutes or so.
Allow to cool a bit before spreading on pizza crusts, or serve warm as a dipping sauce. Cover and store leftover sauce in the refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze for up to three months.
Video
Notes
TO CRUSH FENNEL SEEDS:
Grind them in a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder.
Use a mortar and pestle.
Or place them in a sealed plastic baggie with the air squeezed out and (on top of a cutting board) pound the seeds in the bag using the flat side of a meat mallet, a rolling pin, or another flat, heavy object.
This sauce can splatter a bit as it bubbles, so I recommend making it in a deep saucepan, if possible.
The total yield of this recipe is 1 heaping cup of sauce, which in my experience is enough to cover two medium (12- to 14-inch) pizzas.
If you are short on time, you may cook for only 10 to 15 minutes. A longer cooking time just further thickens the sauce and deepens its flavor.