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Authentic Italian Pizza Sauce

Gardening Guide: The Everything Tomato Guide: All You Need to Know About Growing, Harvesting, Cooking, and Eating Delicious Tomatoes

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Authentic Italian Pizza Sauce

Direct from Florence, Italy, comes this easy-to-make authentic Italian pizza sauce recipe that allows you to quickly whip out a pizza for lunch or dinner on almost a moment’s notice!

By Bill Dugan, Executive Editor

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Authentic Italian Pizza Sauce

Here’s breaking news for most Americans: authentic Italian pizza sauce is not cooked. The sauce is simply blended and prepared “raw” because it cooks when it’s on the pizza and is baking in the oven. And this easy-to-make recipe comes from a hands-on pizza cooking class in Florence, Italy—can’t get much more authentic than that!

We’re big fans of always using fresh ingredients, but this recipe has an exception. It’s alright—even preferable by some standards—to used canned tomatoes for this sauce. Even the Italians use canned tomatoes to make this sauce! The key is to find canned San Marzano (Roma) tomatoes that have been certified by an independent third party—yes, they’ll be a tad more expensive, but using lesser quality tomatoes will sacrifice the taste and texture. Look for “CERTIFIED” on the tomato can’s label.

Authentic San Marzano tomatoes are distinct in flavor and are grown in the rich and unique soil of the region near Mount Vesuvius, the now-dormant volcano. You can use your homegrown Roma tomatoes, but certified Italian San Marzano tomatoes are the best!

Be sure to use sea salt, not Kosher or table salt, for this recipe—like a salad dressing, pizza sauce is a “dressing” for the dough, so sea salt is best.

For the bunch of basil leaves, omit any hard stems, using just the smooth leaves. Unlike when cooking with fresh basil in other dishes—when the stems will soften and disintegrate over heat—this sauce is raw, so you don’t want any distracting textures.

Tip: When blending, you’ll have to judge your sauce’s texture as you’re mixing in the olive oil. Don’t overdo it, but use enough oil to emulsify—that is, truly blend the tomato mixture and the oil to a thickened yet smooth consistency. After making this recipe a few times—and, we know you’ll be making it all the time—you’ll figure out just the right amount of olive oil to get the right mixture.

Voila! Now you have ready-to-use pizza sauce for whipping out a tasty pizza in a flash—just ladle the sauce on your dough in an even layer, cover with your favorite pizza toppings, bake, and enjoy! When stored properly, you can use your pizza sauce for up to one month after making it.

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Authentic Italian Pizza Sauce

Authentic Italian Pizza Sauce

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Direct from Florence, Italy, comes this easy-to-make authentic Italian pizza sauce recipe that allows you to quickly whip out a pizza for lunch or dinner on almost a moment’s notice!

  • Author: Bill Dugan
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: Makes 3 large pizzas 1x
  • Category: Sides & Sauces

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 28-oz. can San Marzano (Roma) whole peeled tomatoes
  • 1 large garlic clove, peeled
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 bunch of fresh basil leaves
  • 1/4  to 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients, except olive oil, into a one-quart container.
  2. Begin mixing with a hand-held blender on medium speed.
  3. Gradually add the olive oil to emulsify the mixture.
  4. Blend for about 2 minutes until it reaches the consistency of a salad dressing.
  5. Place finished mixture in an air-tight plastic container and refrigerate.

Tomatoes are the most popular plant for home gardeners! With The Everything Tomato Gardening Guide, you’ll have everything you need to know about growing and enjoying this versatile food, from the history and background of the mighty tomato to specific advice on growing, harvesting, and enjoying your hard work! Check it out now.

If you try this Authentic Italian Pizza Sauce, let us know what you think!

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Tags

basil, tomatoes

Comments
  • Andra Y. October 31, 2023

    How many tomatoes equals a 28 oz. can? Equal weight?

    Reply
  • Maureen C. February 9, 2022

    How much is a “bunch” of basil?

    Reply
    • Norann O. February 9, 2022

      Maureen – excellent question. All of my grandmother Philomena’s recipes were written with these directions – use a bunch, a pinch, a sprinkle, just enough…. I’m quite sure she never owned a set of measuring cups or spoons. But that’s not particularly helpful unless you had the privilege of cooking beside that 4′ 8″ Italian spitfire. So for this recipe you should consider “a bunch” to be 1 cup of packed leaves. Mangia!

      Reply

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • Curator’s Corner
  • Introduction
  • Feature Articles

  • Growing Zones for Tomatoes
  • Types of Tomato Plants: Standard, Hybrid and Heirloom
  • Preventing Cross Pollination of Heirloom Tomatoes
  • Classifications of Tomato Plants: Determinate vs. Indeterminate
  • Varieties of Tomato Plants
  • Growing Tomatoes from Seeds, Cuttings, or Seedlings
  • Growing Tomatoes in Open Land, in Containers, or in Raised Beds
  • Soil Requirements for Growing Tomatoes
  • The Right Sunlight for Your Tomatoes
  • Should You Fertilize Tomato Plants?
  • How and When to Water Tomato Plants
  • Harvesting and Pruning your Tomatoes
  • Storing and Preserving your Tomatoes
  • How to Spot, Treat, and Prevent Tomato Diseases
  • What to Do About Pests that Can Harm Your Tomato Plants
  • The Right Way to Weed Your Tomato Garden
  • Tomato Rot: How to Identify, Treat, and Prevent Blossom-End Rot
  • Essential Tools and Equipment for Growing Tomatoes
  • The 5 Best Tomatoes for Salsa
  • The 10 Sweetest Tomatoes to Plant
  • Plant Profiles

  • Green Beefsteak Tomatoes
  • Red Beefsteak Tomatoes
  • San Marzano Tomatoes
  • Roma (or Plum) Tomatoes
  • Grape Tomatoes
  • Cherry Tomatoes
  • Sunchocola Cherry Tomatoes
  • Recipes

  • Tomato Salsa
  • Balsamic Bruschetta
  • Authentic Italian Pizza Sauce
  • Fried Green Tomatoes
  • Stewed Tomatoes
  • Salsa Seafood Soup
  • Roasted Tomato Sauce
  • Cherry Tomato Salad
  • Additional Articles

  • Nutrition Facts about Tomatoes
  • Home Remedies & Health Benefits of Tomatoes
  • Resources about Tomatoes
  • Tomatoes Glossary
  • Related Articles

  • The Biggest Basil and Tomato Companion Planting Benefits
  • 7+ Perfect Plants for an Edible Front Porch Garden
  • The Best Vegetables to Grow in a Greenhouse
  • 5 Tomato Canning Supplies to Preserve Sauce Longer
  • How to Ripen Tomatoes Quickly Three Ways
  • Yellow Leaves on Tomato Plants? 5 Reasons and Remedies
  • How to Prune Tomato Plants, Peppers, Cucumbers and More
  • The 13 Best Grow Lights for Tomatoes and Peppers
  • How to Kill Aphids on Tomato Plants with Stuff from Your Pantry
  • The 15 Best Beefsteak Tomatoes To Grow in 2023
  • How to Stop Vegetable Blight from Ruining Tomatoes
  • Gardening Equipment Every Tomato Gardener Needs
  • How to Grow Your Own Pizza Garden for the Best Pizza Parties
  • How to Avoid Tomato Blossom End Rot
  • How to Make Chicken Cacciatore in a Crock-Pot
  • When to Start Your Tomato Seeds
  • How to Protect Your Tomato Harvest During a Rainy Summer Season
  • The 5 Best Tomatoes for Salsa

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