Pizza Sauce Recipe | Authentic Neapolitan Tomato Sauce

Name: Pizza Sauce (Neapolitan Tomato Sauce)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 3 min
Total time: 8 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 400 g Tin of San Marzano Whole Plum Tomatoes, or good quality Italian plum tomatoes - Mutti or Cirio recommended; 2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil; 0.5 tsp Fine Salt; 0.5 tsp Dried Oregano; 0.25 tsp Caster Sugar, balances acidity if needed; 1 Garlic Clove, very finely grated (optional - some Neapolitan purists omit it entirely); All of the above plus:; 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil; 1 Extra Garlic Clove, minced; Pinch of Chilli Flakes; 10 mins simmering time

A great pizza sauce is the foundation of a great pizza - and the authentic Neapolitan version is also the simplest. True Neapolitan pizza sauce is not cooked before it goes on the base: it's nothing more than good quality crushed tomatoes, olive oil, salt, and a pinch of dried oregano, spread directly onto the dough and cooked on the pizza in the oven. The result is a bright, fresh, intensely tomatoey sauce that lets the dough and toppings shine rather than competing with them.

The single most important ingredient is the tomatoes. San Marzano tomatoes - the elongated, thin-skinned plum tomatoes grown in the volcanic soil near Mount Vesuvius - are the gold standard for Neapolitan pizza sauce, and they're available at Waitrose and most larger Tesco and Sainsbury's stores. If you can't find them, a good quality Italian plum tomato tin (Mutti or Cirio) makes an excellent substitute and is widely available at all major UK supermarkets.

This recipe makes enough for four pizza bases - a practical batch for a pizza night or to freeze in portions. At five minutes of prep with zero cooking, it's the easiest recipe on the site. A cooked alternative is provided for those who prefer a richer, more concentrated sauce with a deeper flavour.

Ingredients

For the uncooked Neapolitan sauce

400 g Tin of San Marzano Whole Plum Tomatoes , or good quality Italian plum tomatoes - Mutti or Cirio recommended
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
0.5 tsp Fine Salt
0.5 tsp Dried Oregano
0.25 tsp Caster Sugar , balances acidity if needed (optional)
1 Garlic Clove , very finely grated (optional - some Neapolitan purists omit it entirely) (optional)

For the cooked alternative (richer, more concentrated)

All of the above plus:
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Extra Garlic Clove , minced
Pinch of Chilli Flakes (optional)
10 mins simmering time

Method

Open the tin of tomatoes and pour into a large bowl. Crush the tomatoes thoroughly by hand, squeezing each one until completely broken down - you want a rough, slightly chunky purée with no large pieces remaining. Do this over the bowl, not the sink, to retain all the juice.

Tip: Crushing the tomatoes by hand rather than blending them gives a better texture on the pizza - a hand-crushed sauce has a pleasant, slightly rustic consistency that blends into the dough during baking. Over-blending produces a thin, watery sauce that can make the base soggy.
Add the olive oil, salt, oregano, sugar if using, and garlic if using. Stir well and taste - the sauce should be bright, well-seasoned, and slightly acidic. Adjust with a pinch more salt or a touch more sugar if needed.
The sauce is ready to use immediately. Spread thinly onto stretched pizza bases, leaving a 2cm border, and top as desired. Store any leftover sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze in portions for up to 3 months.

Tip: Less is more with pizza sauce - a thin, even layer allows the base to crisp up properly in the oven. Too much sauce makes the base soggy regardless of how hot your oven is. Two to three tablespoons per base is plenty.

Alternatives & Variations

Reduce the olive oil to 1 tbsp - the tomatoes carry the flavour and the sauce is already very low in calories; a smaller amount of oil still gives good body and sheen
Skip the sugar entirely - if the tomatoes are good quality and ripe, they won't need it; only add it if the sauce tastes noticeably sharp or acidic after seasoning

This recipe is naturally gluten free. All ingredients - tinned tomatoes, olive oil, salt, oregano, and garlic - contain no gluten. Use on gluten free pizza bases as needed.

FAQs

Just 5 minutes for the uncooked Neapolitan version - it's the fastest recipe on the site. The cooked alternative adds 10–12 mins of simmering time. Neither version requires any significant skill or equipment beyond a tin opener and a bowl.

Rated Easy. The uncooked version requires nothing beyond opening a tin, crushing the tomatoes by hand, and seasoning. It's genuinely one of the simplest recipes on RecipeTrove.

Authentic Neapolitan pizza sauce is uncooked - the sauce is spread raw onto the base and cooks on the pizza in the oven. This gives a brighter, fresher flavour that's truer to the original. A cooked sauce has a deeper, more concentrated flavour - similar to a pasta sauce - and some people prefer it. Both are excellent; it comes down to preference and the style of pizza you're making.

San Marzano tomatoes are a specific variety grown near Naples, prized for their low acidity, dense flesh, and relatively few seeds - making them the ideal pizza tomato. They're available at Waitrose and some larger Tesco and Sainsbury's stores, usually in the Italian foods aisle. They make a noticeably better pizza sauce than standard tinned tomatoes, but a good quality Italian plum tomato tin (Mutti or Cirio) is an excellent and more widely available substitute. Avoid cheap, watery supermarket own-brand tinned tomatoes for this recipe - quality here makes a real difference.

Far less than most people think. Two to three tablespoons per base, spread thinly to within 2cm of the edge, is the right amount for a Neapolitan-style pizza. Too much sauce makes the base soggy and can prevent the edges from puffing and crisping properly in the oven. A thin, even layer is always better than a thick one.

Yes - it freezes brilliantly. Freeze in portions sized for one or two pizza bases in ice cube trays or small airtight containers for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for 30 mins before using. The uncooked sauce freezes particularly well as there's no cooked-down flavour to lose.