Neapolitan Pizza Sauce

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This Neapolitan pizza sauce is incredibly simple: it’s light, full of bright flavor, and deliciously fresh. Bonus? It’s a no-cook recipe, ready in minutes, and perfect for your favorite pizza toppings.

Published Nov 2021/updated May 2024

Top view of a white bowl full of Neapolitan pizza sauce with fresh basil.

For an authentic Neapolitan pizza sauce, you don’t need tomato paste, sugar (sugar, seriously?!), garlic powder, or other seasonings. There’s no need for other herbs or complicated ingredients. Simple is best!

As a bonus, it doesn’t require any cooking at all, as cooking can result in an overly intense flavor and thicker consistency.

Instead, you want a bright tomato flavor with hints of fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil at every bite, absolutely delicious when combined with fresh mozzarella.

The best pizza places in Italy use top-quality plum tomatoes, salt, olive oil, and fresh basil. These ingredients are the only stars of the show, nothing else.

For the best result, San Marzano tomatoes are the perfect choice. Their rich texture and flavor can elevate a simple pizza dough or Margherita pizza to the next level. 

Lastly, you can whip up this fresh and flavorful Neapolitan tomato sauce in zero time. We love that, don’t we? : )

List of the ingredients

How to make easy pizza sauce

(Note: This is a quick description with step-by-step photos; the full recipe is at the bottom of the page.)

  • Add the tomatoes, olive oil, salt, and oregano to a mixing bowl.
  • Crush the tomatoes with a fork, a potato masher, or your hands. You don’t want to make a smooth puree or incorporate much air, so I recommend not using an immersion blender or a food processor. All you want to do is break the tomatoes, then mix and blend the ingredients thoroughly.
  • Finish with the basil, taste, and adjust the seasoning (no sugar, I’ve warned you! : ), and the easiest pizza sauce is ready.

Recipe Notes

Easy pizza sauce ingredients

Tomatoes: Canned tomatoes are convenient and work perfectly. San Marzano D.O.P. is quite pricey, but they’re among the best-canned tomatoes you can buy (see notes in the recipe card). Alternatively, go for quality cherry tomatoes, whole-peeled tomatoes, or fresh tomatoes. Avoid crushed tomatoes or inferior tomatoes. You want them to taste nice and sweet straight from the can, and there’s no need to add extra tomato puree (we go for fresh flavors here!).

Extra virgin olive oil: Although regular olive oil is fine for this recipe, why settle for less if you can use good extra virgin olive oil? It’s the best; it’s a no-brainer.

Salt: You need some fine salt, of course. It’s easy to taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Feel free to use a bit of freshly ground black pepper.

Fresh herbs: Basil and a pinch of oregano are the only herbs for this homemade pizza sauce recipe.

Top view of a white bowl full ot Neapolitan pizza sauce.

Pizza sauce variations

The only variation here might be a small garlic clove, minced or pressed, but it’s optional, and I use it only if I want to make a marinara sauce or a pizza marinara. Add garlic only if desired. Other than that, nothing else, especially if you use a Neapolitan pizza dough.

If you want to use tomato paste instead of fresh or canned tomatoes, or if you wonder if adding sugar or other stuff is okay, you can, But that will be a different pizza sauce. It would be more like an American-style sauce, richer and sweeter than this simple Italian recipe.

Note: Premium-quality canned tomatoes don’t need sugar to balance their acidity. They are a must; they can make or break your pizza sauce.

Close-up of a spoon full of Neapolitan pizza sauce.

How long does this easy pizza sauce last?

This tomato pizza sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It’s best to store it in a covered glass container. It’s also freezable.

Let’s talk pizza recipes!

Are you a big fan of pizza? You and I will probably be best friends! Look at this collection of vegetarian pizza recipes; they are all delicious and full of veggies. Below, you’ll find some of our favorites:

If you make this fresh Neapolitan pizza sauce for your homemade pizza or have a question, let me know by leaving a comment. I would love to hear from you! x

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Neapolitan Pizza Sauce (Italian no-cook recipe).

This easy pizza sauce is ready in a couple of minutes. It's light, full of bright flavor, and deliciously fresh. As an added bonus, it doesn't require any cooking at all, and it's perfect with any vegetarian pizza toppings.
The recipe yields pizza sauce for 4 regular pizzas.
Prep Time5 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Course: Condiment, Sauce
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Easy pizza sauce
Calories: 315kcal
Author: Katia

Ingredients

  • 1 can (14oz/400 grams) good-quality tomatoes (San Marzano and cherry tomatoes are the best)
  • 1 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ scant teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
  • ¼ tsp dried oregano
  • 6-7 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces

Instructions

  • Place the tomatoes, olive oil, salt, and oregano in one bowl.
  • Crush the tomatoes with the back of a fork or a potato masher, or use your own hands. You don't want a smooth texture like tomato passata.
  • Shred the fresh basil leaves and stir them into the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning if desired. The pizza sauce is ready for your pizza dough and pizza oven!

Notes

What are San Marzano D.O.P. peeled tomatoes? Although “San Marzano” refers to the plant and origin, the DOP denomination makes the difference. Essentially, it refers to a specific variety of plum tomatoes grown in Italy’s Argo Sarnese-Nocerino region, near Naples, often hailed as superior in flavor and texture to the rest of canned tomatoes. True San Marzanos are protected and regulated under Italian law and will have a D.O.P. seal denoting this. When you see the label “San Marzano-style,” it isn’t the same.  Only when tomatoes are labeled as “San Marzano” does D.O.P. Italy adhere to strict DOP (the Italian-protected designation of origin) guidelines, which govern where they’re grown and processed.
Storage: It keeps well for up to 4 days in the fridge,  stored in a glass container and covered. It’s freezable.
Nutrition facts: The nutrition values for one serving are based on an online nutrition calculator. It’s an estimate only, and it should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. Please see my disclosure policies.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 315kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Sodium: 529mg | Potassium: 1179mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 928IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 142mg | Iron: 5mg


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