The Fridge Staple That Adds 20x The Flavor And Texture To Your Tomato Sauce

Greek yogurt is something of a kitchen multi-tool — depending on the dish, we've seen it sub seamlessly for sour cream, mayo, and heavy cream, among other stalwarts. It adds tang and silkiness to whatever it touches, and, as a bonus, it's a nice little protein booster, placing it on the list of foods with more protein than an egg. In fact, Greek yogurt just might be the secret hack for a more delicious tomato sauce, whether you're whipping up a topper for pasta or any other dishes that demand a red sauce. 

Compared to bog-standard marinara, tomato sauce with Greek yogurt is mellower thanks to the addition of the dairy smoothness, while it's also undeniably richer in texture. We love a good trick to upgrade store-bought pasta sauce, and this staple might have been hiding right under our noses the whole time, working for both homemade gravies and commercial tomato sauces. Merely fold in a few tablespoons to taste, keeping in mind that adding more is easier than trying to mitigate having put in too much.

There's just one small trick to stirring Greek yogurt into your sauce: making sure it doesn't curdle. Tempering by stirring in a few spoonfuls of simmering sauce into a bowl of yogurt will warm it up gradually without making the proteins denature, then allowing you to mix it into the pot with little problem. Serve your hearty, delicious sauce over your pasta of choice — maybe a chickpea pasta for even more protein? — and adorn it with whatever combination of veggies or meat products that you desire.

We honestly don't know why it took us so long to think of adding Greek yogurt to tomato sauce considering how often dairy gets stirred into pasta sauces with great success. Whether it's homemade recipes or store-bought bottles, creamy tomato sauces are a widespread phenomenon. After all, cheese and tomato sauce are a match made in heaven — and many commercial sauces already contain cheese for extra flavor — so why not cream, milk, or even butter as an upgrade to your sauce? Dairy adds unctuousness to tomato-based sauces while also taking some of the acidic sting out of the flavor profile. There's subtle, sweet savor to milk products (including Greek yogurt, which also has tangy zest) that many foodies love. Plus, it's hard to overlook the nutritional bonafides of adding milk products to tomato sauce! Have you ever noticed the inclusion of milk in a traditional Bolognese sauce? Or savored a vodka sauce? Nonna knew what she was doing ... and we think she might like Greek yogurt even better!

In conclusion, we can't think of a good reason — barring allergies, intolerances, or dietary choices like veganism — not to start adding Greek yogurt to our tomato sauces. Virtually every pasta recipe or other tomato-heavy entrée will shine with the inclusion of yogurt to fortify the sauce. Plus, the flavors marry beautifully with other common add-ins like Italian herbs, cheeses, and meats like sausage, ground beef, or chicken. Many home cooks have Greek yogurt as a fridge staple anyway, so the barriers to entry are virtually nonexistent. Honestly, this might be one of the most common sense upgrades previously missing in our repertoire.