The Ingredient That Will Change Your Homemade Pizza Sauce Forever

What is there to say about pizza? This marvel of toppings-strewn dough has got to be one of the culinary world's greatest hits; its versatility and tastiness are almost unmatched. Pizza can be topped with pesto and potatoes or scallops and bacon. Heck, there are unique pizzas that can even be topped with macaroni and cheese or reindeer sausage. You've got your New York style, Sicilian style, Roman style, and Neapolitan style. 

There's a flavor and a type of pizza for every person under the sun. Of course, lots of us choose to go out to eat pizza, leaving the hot oven-wrangling and dough-proofing in the hands of professionals. But it's also fun to make pizza at home, where the dish is infinitely customizable to whatever your exact palate might desire. When you're making pizza at home, it's great to make your own pizza sauce, too. Why not go the extra mile and add lots of flavor to your pie of choice? And if you're fixing to cook up some pizza sauce at home, you'll want to read on to learn about one ingredient that can take it to the next level.

We all know that parmesan cheese and tomatoes work extraordinarily well together. Just think of all the dishes that feature both all-star ingredients, like a classic pile of tomato-sauced pasta showered with the aged cheese, parmesan-topped stuffed tomatoes, and rich tomato soup infused with the cheese's rind. According to Kitchn, adding grated parmesan right into a tomato sauce — and not just on top of it — adds depth and savor to the sauce.

We think it's a great tactic to employ for tomato sauce destined for pizza, and food blogger Ann Fulton agrees. On her site, Fountain Avenue Kitchen, Fulton notes that parmesan "adds a touch of extra thickness, which is especially helpful when spreading on a pizza crust," adding that thin, watery sauce can cause a pizza crust to go soggy. Fulton also praises parm's mouthwatering umami, which combines with tomatoes that boast a good deal of the "fifth taste," thanks to their high levels of glutamic acid (via Umami Information Center). So, the next time you're baking up a pizza, go ahead and bust out your cheese grater before the pie is done.