Whether you are a seasoned cook or just starting to learn, making homemade pizza sauce is a skill worth adding to your culinary resume. And with this recipe, if you can stir (no cooking required!) and have 2 minutes, you can mix up a savory tomato paste pizza sauce that tastes just like your favorite pizza shop.

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It all starts with tomato paste

Canned tomato paste is made from cooking tomatoes (without their skins and seeds), not once but at least twice until the result is becomes a super thick tomato “concentrate”.

Sometimes you’ll see tubes of tomato paste that are labeled, “double or triple concentrate”. Double concentrated tomato paste is more intense than basic canned tomato paste and triple concentrated is even richer than double. These work better for pasta sauces like a really bold-flavored vodka sauce.

For this pizza sauce sauce, a 6 oz. can of tomato paste is the perfect choice and creates a huge hit of umami for your favorite toppings, like a savory thin crust sausage pizza or a thicker grandma’s pie.

After you make this paste version, I think you’ll want to give my other no cook pizza sauce a try, It’s perfect for a classic margherita pizza.

Ingredient overview

Scroll too fast and you’ll miss the ingredient list because it’s a short one, my friend! Same with the instructions. I told you— this is so short and sweet, you’ll be eating pizza in no time!

How to make tomato paste pizza sauce

1. To a small-medium bowl, empty the whole can of tomato paste.
2. Sprinkle in all the herbs and seasonings.
3. Stir until combined and then add the sugar.
4. Pour in the water. You can start with a little at a time or just go for it.

Top pizza sauce from paste tips

Make the tomato paste pizza sauce up to 3 days ahead of time for a quick weeknight meal.

I use a sandwich spreader or inset spatula to spread a thick layer of sauce on my pizza crust.

I like to freeze this sauce by adding it to resealable bags, pressing the sauce flat in the bag as I take out all the air and then seal the bag tight. Label the bag with the name and date and stack several pizzas worth of sauce so that I can pull them out when I’m ready.

If a spicy pizza sauce is your goal, add a little crushed red pepper. It will intensify as it sits in the sauce, so if you make it ahead, know that it’ll be spicier the longer it sits.