Vegetarian Recipes

Homemade Pizza Sauce

https://www.loveandlemons.com/pizza-sauce/

Once you’ve made homemade pizza dough, what do you make next? Homemade pizza sauce, of course! Yesterday, I wrote about how making pizza dough from scratch is easier than it seems, and luckily, making pizza sauce is even simpler than that. Made with 5 pantry ingredients, this pizza sauce recipe is more cost-effective than using store bought tomato sauce, and it tastes ten times as good. Aside from baking it on the pizza, I don’t cook this sauce, so it retains a lovely tomato flavor that makes any homemade pizza feel fresh and light.

We’ve loved this sauce with all sorts of summery toppings this season. I hope you enjoy it too!

Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipe Ingredients

My easy homemade pizza sauce recipe calls for 5 basic ingredients, most (or all) of which you likely have in your pantry! Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

Canned whole peeled tomatoes. Because this recipe is so simple, I recommend seeking out good quality canned tomatoes. If you can find them, choose San Marzano tomatoes, which are especially sweet with a touch of mild acidity.
Extra-virgin olive oil. A few teaspoons give the sauce a little richness, so it’s not too watery.
And garlic, sea salt, and olive oil. They round out this sauce, giving it a full, robust flavor.

That’s it!

How to Make Pizza Sauce

This pizza sauce recipe is quick and easy to make. Once you’ve assembled your ingredients, all you need to do is plop them in a food processor and blend until smooth!

Rather than cooking this sauce on the stove, I dollop it straight on to the pizza from there. It’s thick enough that it doesn’t need to simmer down on the stove. Baking it in the oven cooks it just the right amount, and it keeps a delightful, fresh tomato flavor.

Once you’ve spread the sauce on your pizza, top it however you’d like! I’m a fan of pairing it with fresh basil leaves, tomatoes, mozzarella, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes to make a Margherita pizza, but feel free to play with different toppings. Sautéed spinach, olives, mushrooms, or roasted red peppers would all taste great with it.

Love this homemade pizza sauce recipe?

Pizza Sauce

Author: Jeanine Donofrio

Recipe type: Component

1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes (San Marzano tomatoes, preferably)*
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 small garlic cloves
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon dried oregano

Place the tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt, and oregano in a food processor and blend until combined.
Spread ½ heaping cup of the pizza sauce onto the dough, top with desired toppings, and bake for 10 to12 minutes in a 500°F oven, or until the crust is browned.
Makes enough sauce for about 4 pizzas. Store any extra sauce in the fridge or freezer.

*Note: if you’d like a thicker sauce, you can drain the tomatoes before placing in the food processor.

Cheesy Vegetarian

Easy Vegetable Moussaka Casserole

Just like vegetable lasagne, vegetarian moussaka is one of those dishes that I adore, but I rarely cook for myself, because it always seems like such a huge effort. Cooking lentils, boiling potatoes, grilling slices of eggplant, simmering tomato sauce… the vast majority of the time, I really, truly can not be bothered.

That’s why this vegetable moussaka casserole is such a revelation! It’s a casserole-style version of my favourite veggie moussaka, which tastes just the same, but is so much less effort to make! Just stick everything in a baking dish and let it do its thing, casserole-style.

A spoon taking a scoop from a baking dish of cheesy moussaka casserole.

This moussaka casserole has two sections:

a tasty tomatoey layer underneath, made with all the usual ingredients you’d expect to find in a vegetable moussaka – tender lentils, melt-in-your-mouth eggplant and roasted potatoes, cooked in a rich tomato sauce
a thick layer of creamy bechamel sauce on top

As you scoop into the casserole, the creamy sauce drips down and smothers the tomatoey layer. It. Is. Delicious.

How is this Easier than a Regular Vegetarian Moussaka?

I’m not going to lie, this vegetable moussaka casserole takes quite a long time to bake, and the ingredients list is a fair bit longer than the majority of my easy recipes.

However, I stand by the fact that this is so much easier to make than most moussaka recipes. Although it takes a while to cook, it’s almost all hands-off time, where you can go and relax / do some other useful jobs / play with your kids / whatever else you like to do with your life.

Vegetarian moussaka casserole topped with sliced tomato.

This vegetarian moussaka casserole is easy to make because:

using canned lentils mean there’s no boiling required.
the vegetables are roasted in the oven, rather than the more hands-on method of cooking them on the stovetop.
there’s no fiddly layering of sliced ingredients – it’s all baked up together.
even the tomatoey sauce is cooked right there in the oven with the other ingredients.

It’s definitely not a quick weeknight dinner, but if you’re at home over the weekend, it’s the perfect dish to have baking in the oven while you’re busy with other things.

Sign up to get recipes by email, and get a FREE e-cookbook!

(1-2 emails per week, no spam)

Overhead shot of a cheesy topped moussaka casserole with sliced tomatoes.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

potatoes
eggplant (aubergine)
canned lentils (mine were green lentils)
onion – I only used half an onion (a small onion would also work!)
canned tomatoes
tomato paste
garlic – I used pre-minced garlic from a jar (my favourite time-saving ingredient!)
dried herbs – mint and oregano. I very rarely use dried mint but trust me, it tastes amazing in moussaka! Not a hint of toothpaste, I promise.
tomato – to slice up for the topping
milk, flour and butter – for the creamy white sauce. You can add a pinch of nutmeg to it as well, if you like.

Becca’s Top Tip

I used the same baking dish to roast up my vegetables, and then to cook the casserole itself. If you’ve got a little less time on your hands, the veggies will actually roast a little quicker if you spread them out on a baking tray – but I wanted to save on dishes to wash! I love a one pot meal.

Recipe Video

Overhead shot of a portion of vegetable moussaka with salad.

Printable Instructions

Vegetable Moussaka Casserole

This vegetable moussaka casserole is a much easier version of a vegetarian moussaka – but is just as tasty, with a luxurious creamy topping!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Greek, Middle Eastern, Turkish

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 1 35

Total Time 2

Servings

Calories 523kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

For the lentil layer:

1 medium eggplant (aubergine) (~ 250g / ~ 9 oz)
~ 500g (~ 1 lb) potatoes
1 medium onion (or 1/2 large onion)
2 Tbsp oil
400 g tinned lentils, drained (240g, or ~ 1 1/4 cups, when drained)
400 g tin (~ 1 1/3 cups) chopped tomatoes
1 Tbsp tomato puree
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried mint
1/2 tsp dried oregano

For the topping:

60 g (~ 2 oz) butter
60 g (~ 2 oz) plain flour
500 ml (~ 2 cups) milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 large tomato, sliced

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F).
Cut the eggplant, potatoes and onion into 2cm dice (I didn’t bother peeling the potatoes). Toss them in a little oil, and add to a baking dish – mine measured approx. 8 x 8 inches.
Roast the vegetables in the centre of the oven for around 50 minutes, stirring once or twice during cooking, or until the vegetables are fairly soft (the potatoes might still be a bit al dente). If you decide to spread the vegetables out onto a baking tray instead of using the dish, they will cook more quickly.
Add the tinned lentils, tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, garlic, and dried herbs, and mix well to combine.
Return to the oven for a further 30 minutes, until the tomatoes have thickened up into a rich sauce. Mix well.
To make the béchamel topping, melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium-low heat, and add the flour. Mix to create a thick paste (a roux), and cook for a minute or so, stirring constantly. Add the milk a little at a time, stirring until smooth each time before adding more milk. Season to taste with salt. If you need more detailed instructions, check out my white sauce recipe.
Pour the béchamel sauce over the lentil mixture, and top with a few slices of tomato.
Return to the oven for a final 25 minutes, or until the topping is lightly browned.
Allow to stand for a few minutes, then serve.

Nutrition

Recipe FAQs

Can I prepare moussaka in advance?

Absolutely! The casserole can either be cooked entirely and then reheated when needed, or you can assemble it, then do the final bake just before serving.

Can I freeze leftover moussaka?

Moussaka is perfect for batch cooking – just transfer any leftovers to a freezer-safe tub, and freeze. Reheat thoroughly in the microwave.