The Secret Ingredient That Needs To Be In Homemade Pizza Sauce

When it comes to homemade pizza, the secret ingredient that many busy cooks turn to is a sauce that comes from a jar or a can. But, here's the thing if you'll be going to all the trouble of making pizza at home instead of ordering out we think you can do better than just sauce from a jar. In fact, we know you can. Homemade pizza sauce is no trouble at all to make from scratch, and you can find numerous recipes for sauces both cooked and uncooked that will make your pizza taste way better than it would if you just resorted to store-bought sauce.

No matter what your go-to recipe is, though or even if you absolutely must use the pre-made kind of pizza sauce there is one secret ingredient guaranteed to make it even better: Parmesan cheese.

Surprised? You'll be even more surprised when you try it! Parmesan cheese may be better known as something you sprinkle on top of your sauce (particularly when it's topping a plate of pasta), but it actually complements the tomato sweetness by adding an extra hit of umami. Adding it to pasta sauce adds a complex and savory flavor, and it's the same principle that's at work on your pizza, too.

As a bonus, Parmesan also helps to thicken the sauce up a bit, which, with pizza, is always a good thing. Pizza sauce goes directly on top of a bread-type crust, and thin sauce plus bread dough equals a soggy crust. Whether you like your pizza crust thick, thin, hand-tossed, stuffed, or any of its other numerous variants, soggy crust is never anyone's choice.

If you prefer a non-traditional pizza, Parmesan can help here, too. The next time you're putting together a white pizza, try making the sauce with garlic, butter, milk, Italian seasonings, and Parmesan for a delicious topping that combines both sauce and cheese layers for a quick, easy, and super-delicious pizza.

Even Pizza Hut is on board with Parmesan-based sauces, offering the Creamy Garlic Parmesan sauce as a build-your-own or customization sauce option… and they are the pros.

Is there a difference between types of parm? While you can use the type of Parmesan that comes in the green shaker-top canister, bear in mind that it's only 91 percent cheese, with the rest of it being made up with various types of anti-clumping agents and fillers.

Fresh-grated Parmesan might be more trouble, but it also tastes better. The BBC, after all, calls it, quote, "Italy's practically perfect food," and says it's loaded with good things like calcium and amino acids. Bonus? Most people who are lactose-intolerant can still eat it.

Here's another pro tip. Pizza sauce made from canned tomatoes tends to be fairly consistent year-round, at least if you're using a high-quality brand. Should you use fresh tomatoes, though, the flavor may vary throughout the year. At times the tomatoes may be a little too acidic, so a little sugar or honey can help to balance that out. Other times of the year, fresh tomatoes may be bland and lacking in acidity, so a small splash of red wine vinegar can help to add zip.

If you're feeling brave, you may also wish to try adding a small spoonful of anchovy paste to your pizza sauce. Don't fancy the idea of anchovies? Does it make you a little squeamish? Hear us out!

No, really! Adding a dash of anchovy paste to the sauce is far less obtrusive than adding anchovies on top of a pizza. Express some healthy skepticism if you must, but this is one strange trick that's worth experimenting with. Add just a small amount and you'll find that there was no fishiness, only a savoriness that balances out what might otherwise have been a too-sweet sauce.

And here's a fascinating bit of trivia you can share over the top of that pizza… after you tell your family what's really in it. While fish sauce may be associated with Asian cuisine, it's actually directly descended from a favorite condiment of Ancient Rome and thus appropriate for use in an Italian-style sauce. Who knew?

#Pizza #PizzaSauce

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