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

FAQs

How do you thicken San Marzano pizza sauce? ›

Add Cheese

Cream cheese is one of our favorite secret ingredients and will thicken a tomato sauce quickly.

Don't Cook the Sauce!

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.

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.

Adding a corn starch slurry is an easy way to thicken sauce quickly. Simply combine equal parts cornstarch and water (start with 2-3 tablespoons of each) in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth, then stir into the sauce.

Cornstarch is a powerful thickener, so start by whisking in no more than 1 tablespoon of the mixture per 2 cups of simmering sauce; stir and simmer for 2 minutes, check the thickness, and repeat with more slurry as needed.

Also, be sure not to overcook your sauce as this can cause it to become too thick and lose its fresh taste. Adding a pinch of sugar or honey can also balance out any acidity in the tomatoes while adding red pepper flakes can give it an extra kick of flavor.

The flavor gets richer the longer you let the sauce simmer. However, if you don't have the time to let it cook down for an hour, just let the sauce cook for as long as possible. The flavor won't be as robust and the texture will be thinner, but no one will complain.

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.

In general, Italians do not favor putting ketchup on pizza. The reason is that pizza is a savoury snack, not a sweet-sour one, therefore ketchup does not fit, and would ruin pizza's flavor profile. For the same reason, sweet toppings on pizza, including fruity ones (e.g. pineapple), are generally rejected.

Leaf states that this can be due to burning the sauce in the pot or simply dealing with a batch of produce that are overly acidic or metallic from canning or cooking. This can also come from under-ripe or low-quality tomatoes, as well as stirring in a hefty amount of tomato paste, per Boss The Kitchen.

Why add olive oil to pizza sauce? ›

Mixing it with extra-virgin olive oil adds peppery flavor. Starting with whole peeled tomatoes generally sets you up with higher quality tomatoes, and therefore better results.

Pizza sauce leans towards a thicker, paste-like consistency to prevent the pizza dough from becoming soggy. Pasta sauces, such as marinara or bolognese, contain more water and can include chunkier vegetable pieces or meat, offering a richer texture and flavor complexity.

With real italian pizza, you will find homemade sauce made from freshly peeled tomatoes and a blend of savory, complimenting herbs. You will also notice that authentic Italian pizza doesn't combine the toppings and sauce to be cooked together. They simply layer the sauce along the crust.

Incorporate thickening agents like tomato paste, cornstarch, or arrowroot powder to the sauce to improve its consistency. Mix a small amount of the thickener with water before adding it to the sauce to prevent lumps. Gradually add the mixture while stirring continuously until you reach the desired thickness.

You could also add a cornstarch slurry to thicken your sauce. Remove your chicken, and whisk together 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water and 1 tablespoon of your sauce. Then, stir this mixture into the slow cooker and let simmer until thickened.

When in a pinch, tomato paste is the perfect way to help thicken a sauce in the nick of time. Take some tomato paste, put it in a cup, and dilute it with a little bit of water. Mix it up, and then when it reaches your desired consistency, add it directly to the sauce.

You can also add a cornstarch slurry to your already simmering sauce if it isn't thickening.