Is There A Difference Between Pizza Sauce And Marinara?

Pizza sauce and marinara sauce: to an untrained eye, they seem pretty similar, and you may have even bought them interchangeably in the past. Both are made of tomatoes, whether they're pureed or blended, and many people don't discriminate when using them on pasta, pizza, and paired with the best meatball recipe in a delicious meatball sub sandwich.

Each sauce was designed with a specific purpose, however, and when used according to their intended purposes, you can elevate your dishes. Made of pureed tomatoes and tomato paste, pizza sauce is typically a bit thicker than marinara sauce, and one of the main advantages of this viscosity is the way it helps prevent pizza crust from getting soggy. Marinara sauce, while still thick, is made of blended tomatoes, and is typically just a bit thinner, making it ideal as a topping on a meatball sub or as a dipping sauce for mozzarella sticks. Ultimately, marinara sauce and pizza sauce were created with distinct purposes in mind, resulting in slight variations that make all the difference. 

Unsurprisingly, pizza sauce is a tomato sauce that's designed specifically for pizza. It's typically made of uncooked tomatoes that are pureed, and it also often includes tomato paste. This gives it a thick consistency that makes the sauce ideal for spreading on pizza. Often, other ingredients in pizza sauce will include herbs and spices found in traditional Italian tomato sauces such as oregano, rosemary, and thyme. The key to a great pizza sauce is the seasoning; get it right, and you'll have the perfect blend of flavor and acidic zing to complement the cheese and crust. Unlike other tomato sauces such as marinara sauce and pasta sauce, pizza sauce often uses uncooked tomatoes because the tomatoes in the sauce are cooked along with the pizza.

Pizza sauce is around 88% water. Because it's so thick and has a lower water content than other tomato sauces, it helps prevent the pizza crust from getting soggy. The use of uncooked tomatoes and the lower water content are the two main qualities that differentiate pizza sauce from marinara sauce.

While still a thicker sauce when compared to traditional pasta sauce, marinara sauce is thinner than pizza sauce. It's typically made of cooked tomatoes that are blended rather than pureed. Marinara sauce also often includes additional ingredients, herbs, and spices, such as oregano, basil, garlic, and onions.

Marinara sauce is around 96% water, which is quite a bit higher than the content in pizza sauce. Blending the tomatoes (rather than pureeing them as in pizza sauce) results in a sauce that doesn't get quite as smooth as pizza sauce. The texture of marinara sauce lends itself well to being used as a dip for things like mozzarella sticks or stromboli. It's also commonly used as a topping on hot sandwiches such as cheesesteaks or meatball subs.

Next time you're in the grocery store and you're not sure which type of sauce to pick up, opt for pizza sauce if you'll actually be making pizza. The sauce may be too thick for anything else. If you're looking for a dipping sauce or making a dish that requires tomato sauce as a topping, marinara sauce is a good choice.