Tomato Sauce Vs Pizza Sauce: Key Differences & Cooking Tips

tomato sauce vs pizza sauce

Tomato sauce and pizza sauce are two of the most favorite sauces for savory recipes. Still, many of us get confused choosing between these products, resulting from their similarities in color and components.

However, they are relatively different in taste and ingredients. Let’s take a quick look at the dissimilarities between these two before going into detail.

Related: Most Popular Fruits You Should Know About

Quick Facts

Tomato sauce:

  • Ingredients: Tomato and seasonings.
  • Role: A ingredient.
  • Use for: Vegetables, meat, pasta, pizza.
  • Taste: Refer to tomato flavor.

Pizza sauce:

  • Ingredients: Tomato-based or dairy-based components and seasonings.
  • Role: A condiment.
  • Use for: Pizza, snacks, and fried food.
  • Taste: Various taste dues to its diverse sources of components.

What Is Pizza Sauce?

It is a sauce put on a pizza, which can function as a topping or dipping. It is well-known as a red tomato-based sauce, but it also comes from dairy products like cream or pesto instead of tomatoes, the “white pizza sauce.” 

It often goes with seasonings and herbs, resulting in a flavorful thick liquid for not only pizza but other recipes. Apart from pizza, people also use it for snacks and fried food to enrich the taste. 

If you are a fan of it, you can easily find it in cans or jars sold in many shops. The quickest way to prepare it is to heat the pan, add olive oil, then gradually pour it into and gently stir the mixture until well-combined.

What Is Tomato Sauce?

It is a tomato-based sauce, a popular ingredient for veggies and meat recipes. To make it, people remove the skin and seeds of the tomatoes, then cook it with olive oil and seasonings, herbs, and sometimes ground meat and cheese.

While it is mainly considered a condiment, it is used as an ingredient in the recipe. You can easily find it in cans and jars in many stores. Apart from vegetables and meat, people also use this for pasta and even pizza.

As tomatoes have high liquid content and are easy to cook, they are ideal for making this thick liquid without adding any thickening agents. One good way to prepare this is to quickly cook it with olive oil, pepper powder, and ground meat (optional).

What Are The Best Choices?

To answer this question, let’s talk about what makes for the best recipe. The best sauce offers a reliable taste and proper texture, which is not too thick like the tomato puree but not too thin like the tomato puree. It also comes with a good package, including ingredients information, ideally from natural and fresh sources. 

When choosing the products, you can be considered the ones from the below tomato variants. These are five popular varieties.

  • San Marzano: It is rated as one of the top tomato types, originating from the Campania region, Italy. It has dense flesh, low seed, and medium sweetness – results in a bright, tart, and not too sweet paste.
  • Super sauce: It is a Romas tomato variant, comes in big size, and is ideal for both fresh eating and making sauce. The liquid made of this tomato is smooth, sweet, and not very tart.
  • Margherita: It is a famous tomato type from Southern Italy, making up for a sweet and tangy paste. The one from this tomato is particularly enjoyed for pizza and spaghetti recipes.
  • Beefsteak (global tomato): It has dozens of watery pulp covering the seed compartments, resulting in little sauce left after cooking. That’s why people don’t prefer it for making paste. Still, the sauce made from beefsteak has an outstanding balance between tartness and sweetness.
  • Amish Pastes: It comes with a mealy, soft texture with juicy flesh and low seed content. The sauce from this variant is considered mild, lightly tart, and juicy. It is one of the best-selling paste tomatoes, ideal for fresh eating and making sauce.

How Can I Make Tomato Sauce Taste Better?

Here are some components that you can add to make it better.

Wine

Both red and white wines are great for enriching the flavor. However, while red wine enhances richness and robustness, white wine provides a fruity taste. 

Place some wine into the mixture in the early cooking process when the vegetables become tender. Then the liquid would be cooked off and leave its excellent taste for the recipes. 

Cheese

Some types of hard cheese, such as Parmesan or Romano, are the secret to a rich and creamy tomato sauce. Also, the calcium content in cheese helps neutralize the acidity in the tomato.

Apply cheese right from the making process or heat the canned sauce to prepare for the recipes. 

Butter and/or creamy

Butter and cream are clever ways to make the whole thing rich, velvety, and decadent. Just some tablespoon of butter or cream will result in incredible decadent recipes.

You can add them during the preparation process when you heat the sauce or cook the dishes. Or, just top them on the finished dishes such as pasta recipes

Can You Eat Pizza Sauce Out Of The Jar?

Yes, it is a ready-to-eat product – there is no cooking required. Just spoon it onto the pizza and enjoy your favorite meal.

Most products recommend you heat before serving and need some minutes to process. Still, this is optional and for more flavor.

Can You Leave Pizza Sauce Out Overnight?

Depending on the acidity level and whether there is any preservative added, it can last at room temperature for various periods. Still, it is not recommended to let it out overnight. 

Most types of sauce can last in the temperature room for 4 to 5 hours maximum. At room temperature, bacteria are likely to grow and make you sick when you consume them.

How Long Is Pizza Sauce Good?

The best ways to preserve it after opening are to refrigerate or freeze it. You can keep it in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months without going bad.

Tamara Pierce

Tamara Pierce is a food writer at Elapasony, passionate about exploring diverse cuisines and sharing recipes and food experiences. From trendy restaurants to local hotspots, she's always on the lookout for new and exciting flavors.

Recent Posts