You can have the best dough, the gooey-est cheese, and toppings piled sky high, but without a great sauce? It’s just not pizza. The sauce is where the soul lives. It’s the difference between “yeah, that’s nice” and “wow, where’s my second slice already?”

At Papa Johns, we’ve always said the secret’s in the sauce. It’s the heart of every slice - tangy, rich, and unapologetically bold. Ours has been a labour of love since day one, sweet but not sugary, herby but never heavy-handed, and always made with real tomatoes. Because when you get the sauce right, everything else just falls into place.

So, what actually makes pizza sauce great? And can you make it yourself at home? (Spoiler: yes, you absolutely can, and it’ll make your kitchen smell like an Italian dream.)

Papa Tip: Never rush your sauce. The longer you let it bubble away, the deeper the flavour gets. Patience makes perfect (and tastier pizza).

We’re not saying you’ll match Papa Johns overnight (we’ve been perfecting ours for decades), but this simple recipe gets you close enough to impress your mates.

Here’s how to make pizza sauce, the right way.

You’ll need:

• 1 can (400g) of crushed tomatoes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• A pinch of black pepper
• Optional: a teaspoon of tomato paste for that extra hit of depth

Method:

1. Warm up your olive oil in a saucepan.
2. Add your herbs and spices, let them sizzle for 30 seconds to wake up the flavours.
3. Pour in your tomatoes, stir, then add sugar, salt, and pepper.
4. Let it simmer low and slow for 20 minutes until it thickens into glossy perfection.
5. Taste, tweak, and if you want it smoother, give it a quick blitz with a stick blender.

That’s it. No shortcuts, no mystery ingredients, just honest, old-school flavour.

By now, your kitchen should smell like a nonna’s kitchen in Naples, and you’ll be wondering why you ever bought sauce from a jar.

Sometimes, the classics need a little remix. You’ll see it in our kitchens when we dream up new pizzas; the sauce is often where the magic starts.

The Spicy One: A dash of chilli flakes or a swirl of hot sauce gives a classic tomato base a fiery kick that plays perfectly with pepperoni.

The Creamy One: Ever tried a white garlic sauce instead of tomato? Rich, velvety, and ridiculously indulgent. Great with chicken or mushrooms.

The BBQ One: Sweet meets smoky in this hybrid hero. Half tomato, half BBQ sauce, all attitude.

We’re all for trying new things. That’s how new favourites are born (and how the BBQ Chicken pizza became a cult hero).

Papa Tip: If it sounds a bit wild but your stomach says “yes”, go for it. That’s how legends are made.

The sauce philosophy we live by

Here’s the thing: pizza sauce isn’t just a topping. It’s the foundation. And for us, it’s personal. We’ve been obsessed with perfecting our recipe since the very beginning.

We don’t complicate it. We don’t overthink it. We just make it right, every single time. Because we know when you open that box and take your first bite, you’ll taste it - the care, the craft, the confidence.

As we like to say: without great sauce, pizza’s just bread with ambition.

So, whether you’re stirring a pan of sauce at home or tucking into a Papa Johns slice on the sofa, remember: the secret’s always in the sauce.