The sauce is one of the most important pizza ingredients, so you want to use only the best for your homemade pizza. But what exactly does the best mean? Does it refer to appearance, texture, or flavor? Truthfully, it’s a combination of all those factors.
When you’ve made as many pizzas as we did, you’re bound to notice even the smallest differences in various sauces and select premium ones. Although Costco doesn’t have plenty of pizza sauces to begin with, it offers excellent products to its customers:
Here are our top 3 choices:
- Bonta Pizza Sauce With Basil,
- Angela Mia Fully Prepared Pizza Sauce,
- BIG Pizza Sauce Concentrate
Bonta Pizza Sauce With Basil – Our Top Choice
Costco – Bonta Pizza Sauce with Basil
Product Highlight
If you’re looking for an authentic Italian flavor sauce, you’ll be able to find it with this product. Made from high-quality vine-ripened tomatoes with less skin and fewer seeds, this sauce will provide a highly smooth consistency and excellent flavor.
Features
- Made from vine-ripened tomatoes with the addition of salt and basil,
- Manufactured by Escalon Premier Brands, headquartered in California,
- The product has a shelf life of 730 days,
- The serving size (2.11 oz) holds 30 cal.
What We Like About Bonta Pizza Sauce With Basil
Escalon’s company motto is, Above All, a Better Tomato – and we agree with that. With Bonta sauce, you can rest assured that what you’re getting is a high-quality product.
However, that’s not all. This product is the healthiest one among other Costco pizza sauces. This manufacturer only uses natural tomatoes, and the final product has no additional ingredients except salt and basil. Today it’s hard to find a product this good without genetically engineered components, which is why we give Bonta the first place.
Additionally, a hint of basil and just a bit of salt give the product the authenticity of classic Italian sauce. However, you don’t have to go through the fuss of making the sauce yourself. Just pour it out of the #10 can and coat the crust with sweet tomato flavor.
What We Don’t Like About Bonta Pizza Sauce With Basil
Although we do not dispute the fantastic taste of this sauce, it may come a bit bland compared to what we are all used to. However, know that other products have many additional ingredients and additives. While it may not have a flavor as rich as some other sauces, it’s above all of them regarding quality.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| High-quality natural product | Blander flavor |
| Smooth texture | |
| Easy to use | |
| Authentic recipe |
Angela Mia Fully Prepared Pizza Sauce
Costco – Angela Mia Fully Prepared Pizza Sauce
Product Highlights
If you’re looking for a sauce that’s a bit more flavorful, Conagra Foods has a perfect product for you. Angela Mia’s rich taste with just the right amount of seasoning and thick texture is the ideal base for any pizza type.
Features
- Made from 100% Californian tomatoes and seasoned with salt, extra virgin olive oil, dried onions, crushed garlic, black pepper, dried basil, and dried oregano, and with the addition of citric acid,
- Manufactured by ConAgra Foods, with the United States as the country of origin,
- The serving size of 63 g (2.22 oz) contains around 30 cal,
- It has a shelf life of 630 days.
What We Like About Angela Mia Fully Prepared Pizza Sauce
Since it’s fully prepared to use, all you have to do is open the can and add as much sauce as you want on top of the dough. Additionally, based on our experience, this sauce does not saturate the crust, whether you’re making the crust fresh or from frozen dough.
The thing we probably like the most about this product, though, is that it spreads easily over the dough. Therefore, you will not only enjoy the pizza pie eating experience but also find this part of the pizza-making process a breeze.
This sauce is also very versatile – it’s an excellent addition to pasta but also a good ingredient for salsas and marinades made at home. Additionally, note that this product comes in a #10 can (around 106 oz), so you’ll get plenty of flavorful sauce for any future pizza-making process.
What We Don’t Like About Angela Mia Fully Prepared Pizza Sauce
There is not much not to like about this sauce. The only thing that can improve this product is if all ingredients have an organic origin. Sadly, that’s not the case – it does contain a genetically engineered citric acid. Although the US Food and Drug Administration recognizes this ingredient as safe to consume, the product would be healthier without it.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Flavorsome | Has GE citric acid |
| Good texture | |
| Easy to use | |
| Versatile |
BIG Pizza Sauce Concentrate
Costco – BIG Pizza Sauce Concentrate
Product Highlights
If you’re looking for an exceptional pizza sauce flavor for an affordable price, know that BIG Pizza Sauce Concentrate is made with just that in mind. This product offers great value for the price and allows you to bring the famous taste from Costco food courts to your table.
Features
- Made from tomato puree, with the addition of salt, spices, dehydrated garlic, sugar, citric acid, and spice extractives,
- The serving size (1.3 ounces) has 30 calories,
- Made by Business Institutional Goods (Costco’s private label brand),
- Packed in 108 oz pouches (one pouch equals one #10 can of concentrate, but once mixed with water, the volume nearly doubles).
What We Like About BIG Pizza Sauce Concentrate
Although not the best in the country, pizza from Costco’s menu can compete with some of the best delivery pizzas out there. Their crust does lack crunch, though (for our taste), but the Costco sauce makes it quite tasty. Salty, bright, and tangy, it’s significantly better than what you would expect at a retail store.
This concentrate is made from vine-ripened California Roma-style tomatoes, one of the finest tomato varieties. Like Angela Mia, note that this product is excellent not just when it comes to pizza but with other Italian food as well.
Additionally, although not as easy as pouring the content from the can, you can quickly make a sauce from this concentrate – all you have to do is add 82 oz of water to the pouch content, and you’ll get 190 ounces of pizza sauce.
What We Don’t Like About BIG Pizza Sauce Concentrate
First and foremost, the tag is not 100% clear, especially regarding spices. The needed information is available on the website and implies Italian-style seasoning, which includes garlic, basil, and oregano. However, it’s not stated like that on the product specification, and that fact doesn’t sit well with us – stated like this, it brings the feeling that the manufacturer’s omitting something.
Aside from it and opposed to two previous sauces, know that this is, after all, a concentrate, with additional sugar and citric acid added, which makes a less healthy alternative to the last two choices.
Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Tasty | Has GE citric acid |
| Easy to prepare | Has added sugar |
| Affordable | Not clear specifications |
| Made from one of the best tomato types |
What to Look for When Buying Pizza Sauce?
Consider the Quality of the Ingredients
When looking for the best product, it must contain only premium ingredients. Aside from tomato varieties, which differ in quality, you must also consider other elements. The fewer artificial ingredients the product has (such as citric acid, food preservatives, added sugar, and the like), the better its quality.
The Texture and Flavor Must Be Right
Sadly, you can’t examine these characteristics before you buy a product – but make sure you at least read the reviews. You’ll want to stay clear from sauces that are overly salty or completely bland, but also choose the one that has a smooth and thick texture, easy to spread over the crust.
Don’t Mistake Pizza Sauce With Pasta Sauce
Although some will say there is no difference between these two, note that it’s not true. Pasta sauces are made from slow-simmered tomatoes, while pizza sauces are prepared from uncooked tomatoes, which result in a more tomato-forward taste.
FINAL VERDICT -THE BEST COSTO PIZZA SAUCE
Bonta Pizza Sauce With Basil
Escalon Premier Brands is set on making the highest quality products, and this sauce is proof of it. Without additional harmful ingredients, but with still exceptional taste, this product is definitely a number one pizza sauce on Costco’s shelves. If you have yet to try it, we highly recommend it.
If your local Costco store doesn’t have it in stock at the moment, note that you can always make a purchase via Amazon, as well.
FAQ
Is It Safe to Use Pizza Sauce After the Expiration Date?
It is always better to use the sauce within the limits of its expiration date. Many sauces are usually edible beyond this date – but the product will likely have an altered taste.
What Consistency Should Pizza Sauce Be?
Perfect pizza sauce is not clumped together but is not leaky, either. The ideal product should have a consistency similar to ketchup.
Is Tomato Sauce the Same as Pizza Sauce?
Tomato sauce is a product similar to pizza sauce, but not the same. It’s lighter than the pizza one, which is not ideal if you want your toppings to stay where you leave them.
Should Pizza Sauce Be Refrigerated After Opening?
Yes, it must be kept at cool temperatures after opening. Also, keep in mind that it’s edible up to a maximum of seven days after being opened.