Get out of the basic red sauce rut with these five pizza sauces
pizza’s sauce might just be the ultimate change up to its flavor. Sauce is an important link in the holy trinity of pizza (crust, cheese and sauce). You can go subtle to accentuate other flavors, forego a base altogether or go bold to let the sauce shine.
Yes, there is a segment of pizza lovers who are steadfast that a tomato sauce must be used. But even Neapolitan pizza has ventured beyond its classic hand-crushed tomatoes to include bianco-style oil bases.
Regions across America are also known for specific sauces that people love. Barbecues alone have varied and flavorful versions from Kansas City to North Carolina. Remoulade sauce is popular in New Orleans.
Regardless of the debate over whether Ranch belongs on pizza, Ranch-based sauces are popular across the country. Pepper-based hot sauces are crowd pleasers, though the specific style may vary based on the region.
Doctored Red
Getting out of your sauce comfort zone doesn’t have to be a far stretch. Change up your red sauce to create a whole new option. Heat is trending. There are a number of ways you can spice up your tomato sauce. You can infuse your sauce with cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, chipotle peppers in Adobo, hot peppers, hot sauce or others. You can go with a sweet heat by adding hot honey. Be sure to try different levels of heat with your taste-testers.
Get an Extra-Spicy Tomato Sauce recipe to test.
Sweet Chili Sauce
A sweet chili sauce is versatile. In addition to using it as a base for pizza, marinade chicken or pork with the sauce and add it as a dipping option for wings. A good combination with the sweet chili sauce is a pizza topped with mozzarella, chicken, cilantro and roasted red pepper.
Sweet chili sauce is available by bottle or make it from scratch. Give it your own flair by adding pineapple, sriracha, coconut, mango or anything you think will be a good complement to the chili sauce. Here’s a basic sweet chili sauce to play with to find the right consistency for a base.
Get the Sweet Chili Sauce recipe.
Romesco
This creamy red sauce originated in Tarragona, Catalonia and it’s a perfect complement to pizza. Romesco is made with roasted tomatoes, garlic, almonds (pine nuts or hazelnuts may be substituted), nyora peppers (substitute with red bell pepper or ancho pepper), olive oil and flour for thickening. After cooking the mixture, blend until smooth.
The basic sauce can be enhanced with cayenne pepper, paprika, red wine or vinegar. Try replacing your white sauce with the vibrant Romesco.
A dynamite pizza combination would be ham or Canadian bacon, arugula and ricotta. Or, leverage the Spanish flavors with spinach, artichokes, goat cheese and Parmesan.
Chimichurri
If you’ve been to an Argentinian restaurant, you’ve probably tried fresh chimichurri atop a steak. Chimichurri is similar to pesto. It features flat leaf “Italian” parsley, garlic, oregano, crushed red pepper, red wine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice and red onion or shallots.
Let’s stick with what works and feature the chimichurri sauce on pizza with skirt steak, cilantro, jalapeno and red onion. Chimichurri also makes a great dipping sauce for fries and bread and can be incorporated into a killer pasta dish.
White Garlic Sauce
This sauce is a really garlicky bechamel. It’s creamy with a bit of punch from the garlic. Try it on a specialty pizza with chicken, spinach, mushroom and shaved Parmesan. It’s also perfect for dipping. Here’s a basic recipe to tinker with to give it your own spin.