The Sauce That Adds Rich, Creamy Depth To Pizza Without Extra Effort

Real pizza lovers know that marinara isn't the only sauce fit for the pie. Some good extra virgin olive oil, pesto, or even barbecue sauce can elevate pizza with the right ingredients. If you're on the hunt for something different, however, let us introduce you to tahini. Even though you may use the sauce religiously on sandwiches, grain bowls, and veggies, tahini on pizza is unlike anything you've ever had.

Made from ground sesame seeds, tahini tastes like an earthy nut butter. Sesame seeds naturally contain oil that give the paste a creamy texture when blended, so no extra ingredients are needed to make the condiment. However, plenty of homemade and store-bought tahini feature garlic, salt, and lemon juice for an extra punch. You can opt for any tahini you like, but the ones with pungent garlic and salt give pizza the most flavorful foundation.

The sauce can be a little runny when opening the jar, but when mixed properly, you'll get a silky paste that spreads easily onto pizza dough. Once there's an even layer of tahini on the crust, proceed with adding shredded cheese and toppings before baking the pizza as normal.

Tahini is a Middle Eastern staple, so the best toppings for pizza pay homage to the cuisine. Take inspiration from this tahini-marinated Mediterranean grilled chicken for a one-topping pizza that's rich with flavor. Even if you forgo using the paste on the chicken and keep it as a pizza sauce only, there are still plenty of ingredients that give the chicken a bold taste as the yogurt marinade is flavored with sumac, mint, parsley, oregano, coriander, and garlic.

For a multi-topping pizza, let this hearty beef shawarma bowl be your guide. Flavored with coriander, cloves, oregano, and cumin, the steak has a spiced flavor. However, the pizza gets an extra boost from a crisp onion parsley salad, fresh Persian cucumbers, and juicy tomatoes. Similarly to assembling a salad pizza, wait until the pie is baked before adding the fresh produce.

Speaking of salad pizza, tahini's earthy taste makes it the perfect choice for a veggie-forward pie. Drizzle olive oil, salt, pine nuts, coriander, paprika, and thyme onto sliced eggplants, beets, onions, and zucchini before par-roasting the veggies. Afterwards, sprinkle feta atop the tahini-smeared crust and add the vegetables on top before baking the pizza.