Neapolitan San Marzano Pizza Sauce Recipe (no-cook) (2024)

FAQs

Why is pizza sauce not cooked? ›

The reason pizza sauce is uncooked is because it will actually result in a better-tasting pizza — it will give you fresh, zippy tomato flavor, even after it has been baked in a hot oven. Pasta sauce, on the other hand, is slow-simmered. It usually has a few more herbs involved, like basil or even a bay leaf.

If you want a thicker sauce, you can simply cook it down on a low simmer, stirring occasionally so it doesn't scorch on the bottom, until you get the desired thickness. An optional way to thicken it is to mix in San Marzano tomato paste. Add some more salt to taste if desired.

Because pasta sauce is not twice-cooked, making it often involves simmering the tomatoes with onions, garlic, and herbs before combining them with the pasta of choice. Pizza sauce, however, frequently uses uncooked crushed tomatoes, to make a sauce that is brighter and easier to spread across the dough.

Tomatoes naturally contain lots of water, so cooking any tomato sauce for a long period of time will help eliminate some of the water content. The water will slowly but surely evaporate, leaving behind a thickened, full-bodied sauce with lots of flavor.

Those pizza makers who prefer an uncooked sauce say their sauce has more “fresh tomato flavor.” This is true if you're using tomato products that are labeled as “fresh pack,” such as from Stanislaus. These products have had minimum exposure to heat and tend to offer more fresh-from-the-garden tomato flavor.

When making pizza sauce, the ingredients are blended and then sandwiched between the uncooked dough and cheese for pizza. Since it will be cooked at very high temperatures, it's best to have raw sauce to avoid overcooking. On the other hand, pasta sauce is added to the already-cooked pasta.

Use Flour and Water

Combine 2 tablespoons flour with every 1/4 cup cold water and whisk until smooth. Add the mixture to your sauce over medium heat, and continue to stir and cook until you've reached your desired consistency. Test with a spoon.

Flour: Make a slurry of 2 parts water to 1 part all-purpose flour and whisk until very smooth. Slowly whisk in no more than 1 tablespoon of the mixture per 2 cups of simmering sauce. Stir and simmer for about 2 minutes, check the thickness, and repeat with more as needed.

Over blending may cause too much water to seep out of your tomatoes resulting in a watery pizza sauce. If you are using crushed tomatoes, simply dump into a container/bowl, add salt to taste and mix to combine. Easy, right?! If you want the taste of fresh tomatoes on your pizza, this pizza sauce is for you!

If you'd like a thicker sauce, strain the tomatoes from their juices before blending. This isn't just for convenience — a no-cook sauce will actually taste better on your pizza, giving you that fresh, zippy tomato flavor, even after it has been baked in a hot oven.

Is New York pizza sauce cooked or not? ›

Unlike Neapolitan pies, which generally use a simple, uncooked sauce of fresh or canned tomatoes and salt, New York by-the-slice pies use a heavily seasoned cooked sauce. The key to great New York-style sauce is creating balance between sweetness, acidity and heat, with a definite herbal backbone.

For the purest, tastiest tomato sauce, it's a good idea to remove the skin and seeds first from the tomatoes. To remove the skins, score both ends of the tomatoes with a sharp knife by making a small "X." Place the tomatoes in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Remove and submerge in an ice water bath.

When cooking your pizza sauce, try using a heavy-bottomed pan or pot to prevent burning and sticking. Also, be sure not to overcook your sauce as this can cause it to become too thick and lose its fresh taste.

The easiest way to thicken tomato sauce is to cook it longer. Use a large pan, so there's more surface area from where steam can escape. Don't cover it, of course, and simmer at very low heat so it's bubbling a little bit. A large quantity can be divided between 2 pans.

You will often find tomato chunks in pasta sauce, whereas pizza sauce calls for a smooth tomato sauce that is usually pureed to reduce chunks.

Pizza sauce is prepared with uncooked pureed tomatoes while pasta sauce is made with cooked blended tomatoes and flavorful garlic, herbs, and spices.