Tomato Sauce vs Pizza Sauce: Difference and Comparison

Sauces are an important part of cuisines all over the world. They enhance the flavor, taste, and also visual appearance of the dish.

Different types of sauces are used in different dishes and cuisines, and two are tomato sauce and pizza sauce.

Key Takeaways

1. Tomato sauce is a versatile, cooked sauce made from tomatoes, spices, and herbs, used in various dishes; pizza sauce is an uncooked tomato-based sauce specifically designed for pizza.
2. Pizza sauce has a thicker consistency and bolder flavor, allowing it to stand up to high-temperature baking; tomato sauce can have varying consistencies and flavors, depending on the recipe.
3. Pizza sauce is seasoned with simple, robust ingredients like garlic, oregano, and basil; tomato sauce can include various herbs, spices, and additional ingredients.

Tomato Sauce vs. Pizza Sauce

Tomato sauce is a liquid condiment made from tomatoes and other ingredients such as onions, garlic, and herbs. Pizza sauce is a type of tomato sauce specifically made for pizzas, with the same ingredients as tomato sauce but is cooked for a shorter time to maintain its bright tomato flavor.

Comparison Table

Parameter of Comparison	Tomato Sauce	Pizza Sauce
Basic Ingredient	The basic ingredient used is always tomato.	The basic ingredient used is not always tomato; it could be cream and pesto as well.
Origin	This sauce originated in Mexico.	This sauce originated in Italy.
Color	The color of this sauce is mostly deep red.	The color of this sauce is tangy red or creamy orange.
Flavor	The flavor of this sauce is like tomatoes mixed with some herbs.	The flavor of this sauce is less tomato-like and more cream-like.
Uses	It can be used in any dish.	It is used for pizza dishes only.
Cooking Time	30 mins – 60 mins	15 mins – 25 mins

What is Tomato Sauce?

Tomato sauce is a type of sauce that is prepared with tomatoes. Tomatoes are a good option for sauces because they have liquid inside, and the outside layer is ideal for the required thickness.

It originated in Mexico.

It is prepared by squashing tomatoes like a paste and adding herbs, spices, and garlic for flavor.

It is mainly used as a side dish and mixed with certain dishes to enhance its taste, texture, and appearance.

It is also used in mostly all cuisines all around the world. 

Tomato sauce is so popular and used so commonly because it can be prepared easily with minimal ingredients like tomatoes and some herbs.

The availability of tomatoes is also a big factor here. Also, this sauce has less preparation time, and one can even buy it from any shop easily.

There are many varieties of tomato sauce; they are:

1. Mexican – Tomato sauce originated from Mexico itself. So the basic Mexican tomato sauce, also known as salsa de tomaterojo o jitomate, was traditionally prepared with a molcajete to puree the tomatoes, and the food cooked in this sauce is known as entomatada. 
2. Italian – Tomato-Garlic sauce is a common sauce that is used in Italian cuisine, and it is called alla pizzaiola.
3. French – Tomato sauce is called sauce tomate in French cuisines, and it consists of the salt belly of pork, onions, bay leaves, thyme, tomato puree, roux, garlic, sugar, and pepper. 
4. New Zealand and South Africa – The most common use of tomato sauce in these countries is table sauce, similar to ketchup, but it doesn’t contain vinegar.
5. United Kingdom – The tomato is served here by mixing it in the pasta or as a table sauce.
6. In Australia, tomato sauce is used as table sauce like American ketchup but with a different mixture and doesn’t contain onions.
7. United States – In this country, the tomato sauce is served in two distinct ways: a tomato concentrate with salt and minimal herbs, is half-cooked, and is used for cooking. The other one is American ketchup which has thick consistency of tomato and is fully cooked and used as a table sauce.
8. Indian – In Indian cuisine, tomato sauce is used as tomato gravy, a sauce mixed with onions, flour, and Indian spices in many Indian curries and vegetables.

What is Pasta Sauce?

Pizza is an Italian dish popular worldwide because of its perfect combination of creaminess, cheesiness, and special herbs and spices, which are present in the sauce spread on the pizza, known as the pizza sauce.

Most of the pizza sauces are tomato-based, which also has a lot of spices, herbs, and garlic, but not all of them. Some have their basic ingredient as cream, depending on the toppings, and such white sauces are known as bechamel.

Bechamel is not so common but is also used in many countries.

The typical tomato-based pizza sauce is prepared by squashing tomatoes well, converting them into a thin consistency, and then adding spiced herbs and garlic, enhancing the sauce’s flavor.

The white one is prepared by replacing tomatoes with cream and pesto. 

Main Differences Between Tomato Sauce and Pizza Sauce

1. The basic ingredient used to prepare tomato sauce is always tomato, whereas the basic ingredient for pizza sauce isn’t always tomato; it can also be cream and pesto, depending on the toppings.
2. The Tomato sauce is an all-rounder; it can be used in many dishes, whereas pizza sauce is only used in pizzas as spreads.
3. The tomato sauce originated from Mexico, whereas the pizza sauce originated from Italy.
4. The color of tomato sauce is pure red, and the texture is paste-like, whereas the color of pizza sauce is orange-like, and its texture is thinner and sometimes creamy.
5. The cooking time for tomato sauce is 30 – 60 minutes, and the cooking time for pizza sauce is 15 – 25 minutes.

References

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0260877404001062
2. https://ifst.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1745-4549.2001.tb00471.x