No-Cook Tomato Sauce for Pizza: Why You Don't Need to Simmer Anything

The first time we skipped simmering the sauce, we assumed we were cutting corners. We were not. We were just getting out of the way.

No-cook tomato sauce is what most serious pizza makers use. The oven does the cooking. Your job is to start with good tomatoes and not overthink it.

Why Simmering Works Against You Here

When you simmer tomato sauce for pasta, you want it reduced and concentrated. That makes sense. On a pizza, the sauce goes into a 900-degree oven for sixty to ninety seconds — or a longer cook in a home oven — and it reduces on its own. If you pre-cook it, you are cooking it twice, and you end up with something too thick, too dark, and sometimes slightly bitter on the edges.

Raw crushed tomatoes spread better, too. They stay loose enough to move across the dough without tearing it.

What You Need

• One 28-ounce can of whole peeled San Marzano-style tomatoes — drain off most of the liquid but not all
• One teaspoon kosher salt
• One small clove of garlic, either grated fine or left out entirely — both are valid
• A drizzle of olive oil, maybe a tablespoon

That is the whole list. If you want fresh basil in there, add a couple of torn leaves. If you want dried oregano, half a teaspoon. Neither is required.

How to Make It

Crush the tomatoes by hand directly into a bowl. Squeeze each one until it breaks down into rough chunks — you want texture, not a smooth purée. Add the salt, garlic if you’re using it, and olive oil. Stir once. Taste it. Adjust salt if needed.

Done. This takes maybe five minutes, and most of that is washing your hands after.

The texture is the whole point. Chunky and a little uneven means it will cook unevenly in the oven, which gives you spots that caramelize and spots that stay bright and acidic. That contrast is what you want.

Honest Quirks

If your canned tomatoes are watery, the sauce will be watery. Drain them more aggressively. If they are too acidic, a very small pinch of sugar fixes it — but taste first, because a lot of San Marzano-style tomatoes are naturally sweet enough.

This sauce does not keep well for more than two or three days in the fridge. It is fresh, not preserved. Make it close to when you plan to cook.

One more thing: use it sparingly. A 12-inch pizza needs about three or four tablespoons. More than that and the center will not set properly, especially on a fast cook outdoors.

Less sauce, better pizza. Every time.

Try This Next

Make a batch before your next outdoor session and let it sit for twenty minutes before using it. The salt pulls moisture from the tomatoes and the flavor opens up noticeably. It is worth the wait even when you are in a hurry to get the oven up to temp.