Make Store-Bought Pizza Sauce Taste Exceptionally Better With One Ingredient

Making a delicious, piping-hot pizza pie at home is a fantastic way to make a meal the whole family can enjoy and make you feel like a master chef. Store-bought pizza sauce is the key to that easy homemade pizza, but it all too often doesn't measure up to sauce you've made from scratch. Luckily for you, olive oil can make even the lowest-ranked pizza sauce brands taste gourmet.

First, olive oil makes store-bought sauce better by enhancing the texture, making it silky smooth and thickening the mix. The oil also enhances and complements the flavors of the sauce, depending on the variety you use. It counters the acidity of the tomatoes, often giving your pizza sauce a more mellow taste and complex flavor profile.

Using olive oil to enhance your pizza sauce couldn't be easier. All you have to do is bring the pizza sauce to a simmer on the stove and add a little bit of oil — perhaps a tablespoon to start, adjusting to taste. Then, stir until the oil emulsifies into the sauce. Less-processed extra virgin olive oil is often the most flavorful, so as long as you're not overcooking it and losing flavor, it's the best bet to boost your store-bought sauce. Remember to look for signs you're buying high-quality olive oil at the store for best results.

Of course, you don't have to be limited to one type of olive oil. There are many infused oils that will not only enhance your pizza sauce but also give it an extra kick of flavor to boot. One good example is garlic-infused olive oil, a delicious concoction that adds rich, mouthwatering flavor to your pie. Since pizza already benefits from a healthy shake of garlic powder, it should come as no surprise that this combination of two Italian staples has a lot to offer.

Consider herb-infused olive oil, too, like a mix that uses rosemary, thyme, or oregano. This adds a refreshing herbal character to your pizza that will have you wondering where this delectable olive oil has been all your life. The precise combination of herbs will depend on what kind of infused oil you buy, or you can customize it with your favorites by making it in your own kitchen.

If you like your pizza with extra spice, try chili-infused olive oil. It adds a touch of heat to your pizza and lends further complexity to the dish. The spice can also help cut through the richness olive oil adds to the sauce, further enhancing the texture. It's a perfect addition if you love red pepper flakes on your pizza.