Change It Up! 6 Alternatives to Tomato Sauce on Pizza

We tend to eat a lot of pizza during the summer months. Not only is pizza the perfect vehicle for fresh seasonal toppings, but we can make them on the grill or the stove top without heating up the kitchen. But we do get tired of using the same old tomato sauce as the base time and again.

It seems like almost any sauce that you’d toss with pasta or pre-dinner dip can make a good base for a pizza if you pair it with the right toppings. Here are some new sauces we’ve been playing around with lately:

1. Pesto – This classic basil sauce can take a wide range of toppings, from wild mushrooms to sausage to simple summer tomatoes and cheese. It’s fun to play around with different kinds of pesto, too.

2. Tapenade – This deeply savory olive spread is great with Mediterranean flavors. Think: grilled zucchini slices, eggplant, feta cheese, and goat cheese.

3. Muhammara – Tangy and smoky, we love pairing this roasted red pepper spread with a pizza of thinly-sliced grilled steak and red onions.

4. Gremolata – We like the fresh zesty flavors in this lemon-garlic sauce with toppings like artichoke hearts, thinly sliced potatoes, and wilted greens

5. Barbecue Sauce – Spread

this sauce

6. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil – When we really want the vegetables to shine, we just brush on

some really good olive oil

What other sauces do you like on your pizza?

Related: Pie in the Sky: 9 New Pizzas to Try This Weekend

(Image: Emma Christensen)