A great New York-style pizza sauce should be simple, bright, slightly sweet, and full of tomato flavor without overpowering the crust or cheese.
Unlike many pasta sauces, pizza sauce does not need to be heavily cooked or loaded with herbs. The goal is to let good-quality tomatoes do most of the work.
This recipe is designed to pair with our New York Style Pizza Dough, giving you a balanced sauce that works especially well with low-moisture mozzarella, pepperoni, mushrooms, sausage, and other classic New York-style toppings.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| High-quality whole peeled tomatoes | 800 g / 28 oz can |
| Tomato paste | 1–2 tbsp |
| Extra-virgin olive oil | 1 tbsp |
| Granulated white sugar | 1–2 tsp |
| Fine sea salt | 1–1½ tsp |
| Dried oregano | 1 tsp |
| Garlic powder | ½ tsp |
| Onion powder | ¼ tsp |
| Crushed red pepper flakes | Pinch, optional |
For the tomatoes, look for a high-quality canned tomato with a naturally sweet, bright flavor. Whole peeled tomatoes are a great choice because you can control the final texture yourself.
Making the Sauce
If you're using whole peeled tomatoes, add them to a bowl and crush them by hand or pulse them briefly with an immersion blender.
You want the sauce relatively smooth, but not completely puréed. A little texture works well on New York-style pizza.
Add the tomato paste, olive oil, sugar, salt, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, and optional red pepper flakes.
Stir everything together and taste.
The exact amount of sugar and salt will depend on your tomatoes. Some canned tomatoes are naturally sweeter than others, so start conservatively and adjust from there.
Should You Cook New York Pizza Sauce?
For this recipe, no pre-cooking is necessary.
The sauce will cook directly on the pizza in the oven. Keeping it uncooked beforehand helps preserve a fresher, brighter tomato flavor and prevents the sauce from becoming too heavy.
The small amount of tomato paste adds enough concentration and body to keep the sauce from becoming watery without requiring a long simmer.
How Much Sauce Should You Use?
One of the easiest ways to ruin a good New York-style pizza is to use too much sauce.
Spread a thin, even layer across the dough, leaving the outer edge exposed for the crust.
You should still be able to faintly see the dough through the sauce in places. The sauce is there to complement the crust and cheese—not bury them.
Let It Rest
If possible, make the sauce at least 30 minutes before using it.
A few hours in the refrigerator is even better. This gives the oregano, garlic, and other seasonings time to blend into the tomatoes.
The sauce will keep covered in the refrigerator for several days and also freezes very well.
Keep It Simple
The best New York-style pizzas are usually built from a handful of good ingredients used in the right proportions.
Good dough, flavorful tomato sauce, quality mozzarella, and a hot oven will get you surprisingly close to a classic New York slice at home.
From there, experiment.
Add a little more oregano, leave out the sugar, increase the garlic, or add a touch more heat until the sauce tastes exactly the way you want it.
Because just like the dough, the best pizza sauce is ultimately the one that makes your pizza, your way.