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Published: May 24, 2021 · Updated: May 24, 2021. Post contains affiliate links. See full disclosure page for details.

Pizza Marinara Sauce From Scratch

Homemade pizza marinara sauce is easy, healthy, and only takes about 15 minutes to whip up! Who knew marinara sauce from scratch was so easy?

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I love a good homemade pizza. The sauce, the toppings, all the cheese. Honestly, make your own pizza night is one of my favorite things when I don’t know what else to make for dinner!

But storebought pizza sauce is awful. Why is it so runny and salty? A bad sauce can ruin your homemade pizza. Good pizza sauce makes all the difference!

Because this sauce is so thick, it can also be used in pastas and other dishes as a marinara sauce. It’s a very versatile sauce!

Homemade pizza sauce in a cast iron skillet
Jump to:
  • What does it taste like?
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • Tips & FAQ
  • Nutritional Info
  • Pricing Info
  • Other Italian-style recipes:
  • Recipe

What does it taste like?

This pizza marinara sauce is slightly sweet and slightly tangy, with tons of flavor from the fresh garlic, red wine, and fresh basil. It’s thick, but still easy to spread over your pizza, making it the perfect sauce for homemade pizza.

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    Ingredients

    The ingredients needed to make easy homemade pizza sauce.

    Crushed tomatoes – Canned crushed tomatoes work perfectly in this recipe. They’re thick and much easier to work with than fresh tomatoes. Using canned tomatoes instead of fresh speeds this recipe up, but without sacrificing flavor!

    Tomato paste – Remember when I said I hate thin pizza sauce? The tomato paste really thickens this pizza marinara sauce up, making it so much better than storebought.

    Fresh garlic – I have a confession. I typically buy pre-minced garlic because it’s so much easier to work with when I’m busy. But, you definitely need to the fresh garlic for this recipe because it makes the flavor so much better. I tried this recipe with preminced garlic, it’s definitely not as good. Use fresh garlic!

    Olive oil – I normally cook with avocado oil, but olive oil is a must in this recipe. The flavor of olive oil pairs so well with the other flavors in Italian-style dishes. You can use another oil, but it won’t taste quite the same.

    Red wine – This is probably my favorite ingredient in this recipe, and not just because I love wine! It adds a deep, bold flavor to the homemade pizza sauce that you can’t replicate with any other ingredients. I use either pinot noir or red blends, they both work great for this pizza sauce.

    Dry oregano – This is an essential ingredient in any tomato sauce for pizza, and will add a lot of flavor to this sauce.

    Onion powder – I like to use onion powder instead of fresh onions in my homemade pizza sauce because I don’t like chunks of onion in the sauce, and I’m too lazy to puree! Onion powder is a happy medium because it adds the onion flavor and blends perfectly into the sauce.

    Salt – This enhances the sweetness and other flavors in the sauce. You don’t need to add very much salt to make a huge difference!

    Instructions

    • Garlic sauteeing in a cast-iron skillet.
    • Garlic sauteeing with red wine in a cast-iron skillet.
    • Homemade pizza sauce with Italian seasoning sprinkled on top.
    • Marinara sauce from scratch in a cast iron skillet.
    • Marinara sauce from scratch in a cast iron skillet covered with a lid.
    • Marinara sauce from scratch in a cast iron skillet.
    1. Heat the olive oil on medium heat in a large skillet. Saute the garlic for about 30 seconds, until slightly golden.
    2. Add the red wine and heat for 1-2 minutes, until reduced by about half.
    3. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, onion powder, and salt.
    4. Stir until combined.
    5. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 minutes.
    6. After about 5-6 minutes, uncover and stir in the fresh basil. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before making your pizza!

    Tips & FAQ

    Can marinara sauce be used for pizza?

    You can definitely use marinara sauce for homemade pizza. Most people will not be able to tell the difference, especially after you add all of your pizza toppings! This pizza marinara sauce can be used as pizza sauce or as marinara!

    What can I do with pizza sauce?

    Pizza sauce works great on top of chicken, flatbread, in pastas, and even as a dipping sauce!

    Can I freeze leftover pizza sauce?

    Yes, you can! Make sure to use wide-mouthed jars, and leave about 2 inches at the top for the pizza sauce to expand in the freezer. If you fill the jars too full, they will break and your pizza sauce will be ruined!

    Nutritional Info

    This pizza marinara sauce is really low in calories, carbohydrates, and sodium, and is full of flavor without a ton of added preservatives, sugars, oils, and other additives you may find in other pizza sauces.

    Compared to other pizza sauces, I think the biggest different here is the sodium level. Most storebought pizza sauce is loaded with sodium, and usually has added sugar, too!

    There is minimal sodium in this recipe without any sacrifice of flavor, and the only added sugar here is from the wine, and that’s pretty negligible.

    Overall, this is one healthy homemade pizza sauce that you can feel good about feeding to your family!

    Total nutritional content per serving is:

    • Calories: 38 calories
    • Protein: 2 grams
    • Sodium: 139 mg
    • Carbohydrates: 7 grams
    • Fiber: 2 grams

    *This nutritional information is an estimate and calculated based on the ingredients used to create the recipe. The nutritional value of your ingredients may differ slightly. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.

    Pricing Info

    What I paid to make this recipe:

    • 2 tsp olive oil: $.15
    • 4 fresh garlic cloves: $.10
    • ¼ cup red wine: $1.00
    • 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes: $.89
    • ¼ cup tomato paste: $.23
    • 2 tsp dry oregano: $.12
    • ½ tsp onion powder: $.01
    • ¼ tsp salt: $.01
    • 2 tbsp fresh basil: $.35

    Total for 32 oz of sauce comes out to be $2.86, or $.24 per serving!

    Other Italian-style recipes:

    • Almond Pesto with Basil | Pine Nut Free
    • One Pan Mushroom Sauce Chicken w/Cherry Tomatoes
    • Cajun Chicken Alfredo | Creamy & Spicy Pasta
    • Healthy Baked Ziti w/Kale & Mushrooms

    Shop my recipe:

    Tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comments below! I would really appreciate your feedback!

    Recipe

    Homemade pizza sauce in a cast iron skillet
    Print Recipe
    5 from 1 vote

    Pizza Marinara Sauce From Scratch

    Homemade pizza marinara sauce is easy, healthy, and only takes about 15 minutes to whip up! Who knew marinara sauce from scratch was so easy?
    Total Time15 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: Marinara Sauce From Scratch, Pizza Marinara Sauce
    Servings: 12 servings
    Calories: 38kcal
    Author: Megan Byrd, RD
    Cost: $2.86 or $.24 per serving

    Ingredients

    • 2 tsp olive oil
    • 4 fresh garlic cloves minced
    • ¼ cup red wine
    • 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
    • ¼ cup tomato paste
    • 2 tsp dry oregano
    • ½ tsp onion powder
    • ¼ tsp salt
    • 2 tbsp fresh basil minced

    Instructions

    • Heat the olive oil on medium heat in a large skillet. Saute the garlic for about 30 seconds, until slightly golden.
    • Add the red wine and heat for 1-2 minutes, until reduced by about half.
    • Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, onion powder, and salt. Stir until combined, then cover and cook on low for 5-6 mintes.
    • After about 5-6 minutes, uncover and stir in the fresh basil. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly before making your pizza! This makes about 32 oz of sauce, or roughly enough sauce for 12 servings/2 large pizzas.

    To Freeze:

    • After the sauce is done cooking, allow to cool completely before freezing. Pour into wide-mouth jars, leaving 1-2 inches of room at the top of each jar to allow it to expand while it freezes.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 38kcal

    Pin me for later!

    Easy pizza sauce in 15 minutes

    If you end up making this and loving it, take a photo and tag me on Instagram! I’d love to see your versions of my recipes! And feel free to rate it down below in the comment section. I would really appreciate it!

    Upgrade your homemade pizza night with this pizza marinara sauce from scratch! In only 15 minutes, you’ll have the most flavorful, freezer-friendly sauce ever!

    xoxo Megan

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    Categories: Dinner

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kelly Rolland says

      June 15, 2021 at 7:24 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe was amazing! I made a few changes because I am on a low sodium diet but it made no difference in the taste. Thank you for the recipes for homemade seasonings.

      Reply
      • Megan Byrd, RD says

        June 15, 2021 at 8:43 pm

        Oh yay!!! I love this pizza sauce so I’m glad you do too! 🙂 I’m happy to help!

        Reply

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