Pizza is one of the best foods, and you’ve undoubtedly made your own to satisfy your appetite. But without the right sauce, it won’t do justice to your taste buds.
Pizza is traditiannaly made by adding sauce to uncooked pizza dough, sprinceled with delectable cheese and yummy toppings. In contrast, pasta dishes usually have their sauce added after it has been cooked.
Although they have comparable components such as the seasonings used, pasta sauce and pizza sauce are not the same.
While pasta sauce is produced with cooked blended tomatoes, aromatic garlic, herbs, and spices, pizza sauce is usually made with raw pureed tomatoes.
Whether you’re making individual pizzas or opening a pizzeria, most chefs will agree that the sauce is the most important part.
Tomato sauce is a staple at every pizzeria, but can you use spaghetti sauce in its place, and how will that change the flavor of your pizza.

Pizza Sauce
Tomato paste and pureed tomatoes are common ingredients in pizza sauce, which results in a thicker consistency than traditional pasta sauce.
A thicker sauce prevents the pizza dough from becoming soggy while it cooks.
Pizza sauce, in contrast to the cooked tomato sauce used in pasta dishes, is served raw. It may not seem significant, but it matters.
The best pizza sauce is tomato purée with salt, pepper, and sometimes garlic, oregano, balsamic, or red wine vinegar.
For a tangier taste that complements pizza’s fats and oils, add oregano, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and sugar.
Since pizza sauce is uncooked, its fresh, tangy tomato flavor remains even after baking in a hot oven, enhancing the pizza’s overall flavor.
Marinara sauce is one of the simplest classic Italian pasta sauces.
Pizza Sauce Recipe
When making pizza, the pizza sauce is crucial since it provides the dish’s overall uniting taste.
The finest pizza sauce is simply one that enhances the flavors of your pizza toppings and dough to provide a mouthwatering, cohesive flavor.
In order to make and elevate it to the next level with more work, you will need:
- 1 can of tomato sauce
1 can of tomato puree - 1 tablespoon of ground oregano
- 1 ½ tablespoon of minced, dried garlic
- 1 teaspoon of ground paprika
In a medium bowl, smoothly combine tomato sauce and tomato puree. Add the paprika, oregano, and minced garlic.
Mix them thoroughly. You may use a food processor or immersion blender for a smooth sauce, otherwise, you may leave it as it is.
After making your homemade pizza sauce, you can finally start making that Italian pizza recipe you’ve found online, or maybe try that Neapolitan pizza!
Pasta Sauce
Crushed tomatoes, which increase the sauce’s water content and make it thinner than pizza sauce, are often used to make pasta sauce or spaghetti sauce.
The thinner sauces completely cover your spaghetti noodles, infusing each mouthful with taste.
Basic spices like salt, pepper, and dried oregano are often the sole components in pasta sauce, allowing chefs to season their creations to their own preferences and to best accentuate the noodle dish and other ingredients.
In contrast to pizza sauce, which asks for a smooth tomato sauce that is often processed to minimize pieces, pasta sauce frequently contains tomato bits. Italian sausage, ground beef, or meatballs may also be used in spaghetti sauce.
Related read: Ultimate Guide to Beef Pizza
Pasta Sauce Recipe
Any of the many savory garnishes and ingredient combinations improve the taste of the pasta meal being served.
In addition, sauces are crucial for enhancing flavors, increasing juiciness, and enhancing the mouthfeel of a dish.
In order to make this dish, you will need:
- A pat of Butter
- ½ cup minced onion
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 cups of crushed tomatoes (fresh tomatoes)
- 2 pieces of canned tomato sauce
- 2 cans tomato paste
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon fennel seed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Melt some butter and sauté your onions and garlic over medium heat. Add water, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and crushed tomatoes after that. Add sugar, basil, fennel seed, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
Cover and simmer, stirring periodically until the pasta sauce is fully cooked. After, use your food processor to create a smooth pasta sauce finish.

Pizza Sauce vs Pasta Sauce
Perhaps the secret to a fantastic pizza is in the sauce. Some of your guests may feel that the pizza is overly watery and mushy if you use spaghetti sauce instead of marinara pizza sauce.
There are other important key differences that are relevant between the two sauces.
Tomato sauces made specifically for pasta typically have a higher water content.
This is because pasta sauces usually dilute tomato paste with water, turning it into a “tomato puree,” whereas pizza sauces have a higher percentage of tomato paste. Using pure tomato paste makes pizza sauce more substantial.
Pizza sauce often has fewer components than other types of sauce. While both include tomatoes in some capacity, a pizza marinara sauce often only contains ingredients like garlic, oregano, basil, and olive oil.
These ingredients are used to make the sauce that gives your pizza its flavor.
On the other hand, there is plenty of space for additional components in a slow-roasted pasta sauce. Occasionally, extras like onions and olives may be added to a marinara in addition to those items.
If you define pasta sauce more broadly than marinara, you’ll also find peppers, salt, sugar, and sometimes even meats in the sauce.
When it comes to pizza, you should stack those kinds of elements without the sauce, relying on the toppings such as mozzarella and parmesan cheese, pepperoni, and other vegetables to complete the dish.
Turning Pasta Sauce into Pizza Sauce
This sauce is a thicker kind of tomato sauce that is mostly used over pizza dough. It is often prepared using ripe red tomatoes and Italian herbs, including basil leaves.
You could also combine it with chili flakes, depending on how hot you want it to be.
You can easily transform spaghetti sauce into pizza sauce by adding a few more ingredients. By straining, combining, and seasoning, the pasta sauce in your cupboard may stand in as pizza sauce.
To make the best pizza sauce from the pasta, you may do the following:
Throw the spaghetti sauce from a can into the blender. This will help turn the chunky tomatoes and other components into a smooth paste.
After that, you’ll want to turn on the heat and let the mixture boil until it gradually thickens into pizza marinara sauce. Season with salt, sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, and any other spices you want at this stage.

Sauce Your Pizza Right
When making pizza, you shouldn’t just dump some marinara sauce from a jar over the dough and hope for the best.
There’s a good reason why pizza sauce and pasta sauce are treated differently; one key distinction is that pizza sauce is served raw while pasta sauce is served cooked.
When it comes to making the perfect pizza crust—thin crust, homemade pizza sauce, and toppings to meet your taste standards always takes proper time and hard work.
And, in any case, you may always adjust the taste, especially the sauces, to your preferences as homemade and jarred recipes may not only be improved but also tweaked.