How to Make Quick and Easy St. Louis Style Pizza Sauce

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There are two schools of thought when it comes to pizza sauce. Both have their merits. One school advocates a fairly loose tomato sauce. This is a tangy sauce that’s often created using crushed tomatoes. The other school promotes a thick, rich, peppery, slightly sweet sauce with a bold tomato flavor.

St. Louis-style pizza sauce is from the second school. It’s rich and thick, with a robust, slightly sweet tomato flavor. Once roasted on a pizza, the tomato flavor becomes even deeper and more intense.

This pizza sauce is delicious, and also one of the simplest and quickest recipes I know. It’s a simple combination of tomato paste, olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, a bit of sugar, and water. That’s it.

This recipe makes enough sauce for two to three large pizzas. How far it goes depends on how thick you smear it on the crust and just how large your pizza is. Don’t worry about leftovers. This sauce freezes well. It lasts about 4 months in the freezer. Just thaw it out, and you’re ready to make pizza next time.

Quick and Easy St. Louis Style Pizza Sauce
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Quick and Easy St. Louis Style Pizza Sauce

Course: Dinner, Entertaining, Healthy, Late Night, WeeknightCuisine: American, ItalianDifficulty: Easy
Servings

3

large pizzas
Prep time

1

minute
Cooking time

9

minutes
Total time

10

minutes

This rich, thick sauce works well on all pizza crust types, including French bread or bagel pizza. Best of all, you can make it in about 10 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon olive oil

  • 1 6-oz. can tomato paste

  • 10-oz. water

  • ¼ teaspoon sea salt, ground

  • ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

  • ¼ teaspoon garlic granules or powder

  • ½ teaspoon table sugar

Directions

  • Warm olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat (about 30 seconds).
  • Add remaining ingredients and stir until smooth. Simmer for about 8–9 minutes more.
  • Remove from heat. The sauce is ready to use immediately, but it can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen. Thaw before using.

Notes

  • Use the tomato paste can to measure the water. Two full cans equal 10 ounces.
  • Use leftover sauce to add flavor to soup or stew, or toss it on hot pasta or gnocchi along with a ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese and a little fresh basil.
  • Makes an excellent base for a flavorful bruschetta. Spread it on crostini and top with chopped artichoke hearts, your favorite cheese, and a drizzle of pesto. Warm in a 400° oven until cheese melts (about 5 minutes).