Homemade pizza sauce is so rich and flavorful and fresh tasting – store-bought just can’t compare.
If you’re in the thick of tomato-season, make a big batch of this extra-delicious pizza sauce and can it for a quick and homemade pizza all year long.
Try my cast iron pizza recipe for an even faster homemade pizza!
Or if you haven’t started growing your own tomatoes yet, check out my post on How to Grow Tomatoes.
In one of our first years of dating the Mr. and I were snowed in, in a late winter snow storm. While we were deciding what to have for lunch, we noticed we had one pizza crust left, a little bit of mozzarella, a little bit of cheddar and some pepperonis.
Almost everything for a pizza EXCEPT the sauce!
The Mr. challenged me to make pizza sauce from scratch — something I had never tried before! I jumped at the challenge and was AMAZED at the results.
I found this recipe at Cook Like Your Grandmother and I’m absolutely hooked on this adorable, home-cookin’, down-to-earth food blog.
That summer, while canning the tomatoes from the garden, I made a huge batch of and canned it in a hot water bath for 25 min.
We had organic, homemade pizza sauce available all year!
How to Cook Your Homemade Pizza Sauce
This super easy recipe reminds me of what our Italian Grandmothers would have made. Nothing fancy, nothing complicated, but full of rich flavor.
Simply saute the onions and garlic briefly (don’t let the garlic burn). Peel and deseed the tomatoes.
Tomato skins and seeds get really mealy and chewy when you can them, so you’ll want to remove them. I know some people who don’t, but I prefer my pizza sauce without seeds and skin.
I have an entire post on how to prep tomatoes for canning that shows you my trick for easy de-seeding and peeling.
Or if you don’t have fresh tomatoes, canned ones will do just fine!
Add the pesto and simmer until you get a consistency you like. Some like their pizza sauce very thin, so you may want to run it through a blender or food mill. I don’t mind mind a bit chunky – it seems more authentic to me.
Homemade Pizza Sauce For Canning
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp EVOO
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 medium white onion, cubed
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 14.5 oz cans of tomatoes (garlic and oregano)
- 1 Tbsp basil pesto
Instructions
- Sauté onion in oil and butter.
- Add garlic, sauté briefly.
- Add fresh or canned tomatoes and pesto.
- Simmer for 15-20 min, and blend.
- Can in a hot water bath for 25 minutes.
