Make homemade pizza sauce with tomato paste in no time at all — just 5 minutes — with just a few ingredients!

Use this sauce to dip pizza rolls in, as a base for my pepperoni pizza dip, tortilla pizzas, on easy French bread pizzas, and on quick English muffin pizzas!

A jar of tomato paste pizza sauce against a white background.

Why This Recipe Works

Authentic pizza sauce is not cooked, so if you’re looking for an authentic tomato paste pizza sauce recipe, this is it! We love using some of this extra sauce on my Authentic Margherita Pizza.

I love pizza sauce with tomato paste because you get a much thicker consistency, which is perfect to spread on pizzas of any and all varieties and to use as a dip for your favorite breadsticks!

This recipe is SO simple to make. It takes only 5 minutes to combine and mix the ingredients. I do suggest giving the sauce 30 minutes to sit so those delicious spices can permeate the sauce.

A spoon scooping up homemade pizza sauce from a glass jar.

Ingredients

Ingredients used to make pizza sauce from tomato paste.

This recipe has a few ingredients that might not be in your fridge or seasoning cupboard.

  • Marjoram: Similar to oregano, marjoram has a bit of a sweeter flavor/taste. It provides a bit more of a woodsy and warm flavor to the sauce.
  • Anchovy Paste: You can buy anchovy paste at the grocery store. It’s usually in a tube (see the photo above). Anchovy paste adds a umami flavor. (Umami is one of the five flavors: salty, bitter, sweet, sour and umami). It adds a rich and salty flavor to the sauce. But, have no fear! It won’t make your food taste or smell fishy at all.
  • Tomato Paste: Of course, this is the base of our sauce. Pizza sauce with tomato paste is the best because your sauce is thick — no danger of a too runny pizza sauce here!

Step-By-Step Instructions

  1. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients.
A glass bowl full of ingredients used to make pizza sauce from tomato paste.
  1. Stir to combine.
A whisk stirring homemade tomato paste pizza sauce.
  1. Let the sauce sit for 30 minutes for the flavors to incorporate well into the sauce.
A glass jar full of Pizza Sauce from Tomato Paste against a white background.

Recipe Tips

I like using freshly grated parmesan because I think the flavor it better, but if you only have the crumbled kind that comes in those shaker things, that’s fine. It’s better to have parmesan in whatever form than being particular about it being freshly grated.

Cut back on or add more of the red pepper flakes to adjust the spice level.

Storing

Store in an airtight container or glass jar in the fridge for up to a week.

Freezing: place leftover pizza sauce in an ice cube tray and freeze until firm, about 3 hours. Remove from the tray and store frozen pizza sauce cubes in a freezer-safe ziplock bag for 3 months. When ready to use, thaw the frozen cubes in the fridge and bring to room temperature prior to spreading over your pizza dough.

FAQs

What is anchovy paste?

Anchovy paste is made from anchovies, olive oil, and salt. It’s a salty paste that even a little bit will increase/enhance the flavor of sauces, soups, and more! Anchovy paste is a great way to get the flavor without dealing with the little fish. However, if you’re worried about it bringing a “fishy” flavor to dishes, don’t worry at all! It doesn’t make things taste fishy at all — you won’t even be able to tell it’s there, but you will be glad it is 🙂

Can I use tomato sauce instead of pizza sauce?

This is a question I always had when I wanted to make some kind of pizza or dip but didn’t have any pizza sauce in my fridge. Yes, you can use tomato sauce instead of pizza sauce. However, you’ll need to add the seasonings included in this recipe in order to get the pizza flavor and not just straight tomato sauce. But remember, tomato sauce is much runnier than tomato paste, so your sauce will be very thin.

Can I use spaghetti sauce instead of pizza sauce?

I don’t recommend it because the flavors are different as is the consistency. Spaghetti sauce is runnier than pizza sauce. Spaghetti sauce is also usually precooked since pizza sauce will cook in the oven with the pizza. Cooking the sauce helps enhance the flavor.

What is the best tomato sauce to use on pizza?

This is definitely a subjective question since everyone will have different opinions; however, as I’ve mentioned before, I love a slightly thicker consistency of pizza sauce — and one with lots of delicious seasoning for the best flavor.

An overhead photo of a jar of Pizza Sauce made from Tomato Paste.

Favorite Pizza Recipes

Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Click here to leave a rating and review.

A spoon scooping up homemade pizza sauce from a glass jar.
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5 from 2 votes

Pizza Sauce with Tomato Paste

This flavorful homemade pizza sauce is made from tomato paste and so easy! Just mix the ingredients and let sit for 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Sit time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 1 serving

Ingredients
 

  • 6 oz tomato paste
  • 6 oz water - warmed to 110°F
  • 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese - freshly grated
  • 1 teaspoon garlic - minced
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste
  • 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • salt - to taste
  • pepper - to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a bowl combine all of the ingredients and stir to combine.
  • Let sauce sit for 30 minutes to let the flavors meld and develop. Then spread over pizza dough as desired. 

Notes

I like using freshly grated parmesan because I think the flavor it better, but if you only have the crumbled kind that comes in those shaker things, that’s fine. It’s better to have parmesan in whatever form than being particular about it being freshly grated.
Cut back on or add more of the red pepper flakes to adjust the spicy level.
Store in an airtight container or glass jar in the fridge for up to a week.
Freezing: place leftover pizza sauce in an ice cube tray and freeze until firm, about 3 hours. Remove from the tray and store frozen pizza sauce cubes in a freezer-safe ziplock bag for 3 months. When ready to use, thaw the frozen cubes in the fridge and bring to room temperature prior to spreading over your pizza dough. 
 
This recipe makes about 1 1/3 cup of pizza sauce. 

Nutrition

Calories: 234kcal (12%)Carbohydrates: 40g (13%)Protein: 14g (28%)Fat: 5g (8%)Saturated Fat: 3g (15%)Cholesterol: 13mg (4%)Sodium: 1709mg (71%)Potassium: 1806mg (52%)Fiber: 8g (32%)Sugar: 25g (28%)Vitamin A: 2808IU (56%)Vitamin C: 39mg (47%)Calcium: 285mg (29%)Iron: 6mg (33%)
author: Whitney Wright
Course: Main Course, Seasoning
Cuisine: Italian
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