How To Create An Easy Pizza Sauce Directly In A Can Of Tomatoes

When you get that certain craving, nothing quite hits the spot like a hot and cheesy pizza. For a quick pizza fix at-home, you can go with frozen, of course — but there are definitely some frozen pizzas you should keep out of your shopping cart. If you have a favorite brand, there are budget-friendly hacks to elevate frozen pizzas. But for a truly delicious pie, homemade wins every time. And this incredibly easy hack will get you restaurant-quality pizza sauce in just a few minutes. Simply mix your pizza sauce directly in the tomato can. Here's how.

Start with a can of crushed tomatoes and stir in a few ingredients to transform it into a flavorful sauce. Add several tablespoons of olive oil, a grated clove of garlic or two, and a dash of salt. After a quick mix with a spoon, your homemade pizza sauce is ready to go, no straining or blending needed. You can even store it in the fridge for a few hours to mellow the garlic. It will last up to a week in the fridge or a month in the freezer, although you'll want to transfer it to a sealed, airtight container first. 

This simple sauce spreads easily, with small tomato chunks dispersed evenly for tasty bites throughout. Just be sure to give it a good mix with a spoon right before you spread it on the pizza dough so the ingredients don't separate. Using uncooked, crushed tomatoes means the sauce will end up fresher and brighter when cooked, while recipes that use pre-cooked pasta sauce as a base can get a little bitter in the oven.

Another beautiful perk of this simple pizza sauce technique is it's equally easy to customize. Not a fan of garlic or you just want something spicier? You can switch out ingredients or simply use more or less of any given addition. Make the sauce your own with some dried Italian herbs, ground black pepper, or red pepper flakes for a bolder flavor. Chopped fresh basil can up the brightness, while a pinch of sugar or dollop of honey can bring your pizza sauce to the sweeter side.

For a smoother sauce, use tomato puree in place of crushed tomatoes. It will mix more evenly and may end up making your pizza a little sweeter overall, depending on its ingredients and how you layer the sauce. For a thicker sauce altogether, try this trick with whole, peeled tomatoes and puree them in a blender or food processor with your other ingredients. For an extra flavorful pizza, try a pureed version with extra garlic, plus all the herbs and spices you can handle, and spread it on as thick as you'd like.

When you're ready to spread your sauce and want to keep it super simple, picking a base from Chowhound's ranking of store-bought pizza crusts is a good place to start. But for the ultimate quick homemade pizza, pair your easy, no-cook pizza sauce with a simple handmade dough by turning yogurt into pizza dough with self-rising flour. With a can of crushed tomatoes and a little ingenuity, you can have a fresh, homemade pizza on the table in no time.