18 Pizza Sauces That Shamelessly Break Flavor Traditions

Look at it, just sitting there. All saucy and tomato-y. It's suffocating a perfectly innocent pizza crust, trying to conceal itself beneath that rubbery, old shredded mozzarella, and those depressing excuses for fresh basil leaves.

How did we get to this place? We once had a torrid love affair with tomato sauce on pizza. Sparks flew as we chose the perfect slice, pulled it away from the pie — strands of cheese tangled in our fingers — and took our first breathless bite. We laughed for hours; there were too many memories to count. It seems like a dream, those long-forgotten days when a simple pizza sauce was all we needed to really feel alive.

But look at us now. (A finger traces the crust, and pushes the plate away.) We even used to call our time together ... pizza night.

Listen, it doesn't have to be like this! There is more to pizza sauce than regular tomato. There are exciting flavors. Thrilling textures. Sweet things. Spicy things. Cheesy things. Exotic things. There's even something from IKEA. It's a beautiful, saucy world out there, and you're about to taste every pizz-a it.

Pizza bianca fans, you're about to get wrecked by a "mother sauce" of French cuisine — but on pizza, a food that's originally from Naples, Italy. Consider this dish Fritalian. And consider us sold because, well, béchamel is divine with literally everything. Bring it.

Class is in session. This velvety cream sauce (or roux) is made with milk, butter, and flour, and then seasoned with salt, pepper, cloves, bay leaf, onion, and nutmeg. The correct pronunciation for the sauce is bay-shuh-MEL, but with a very French chef de cuisine-type accent. With the amount of tastiness it brings, béchamel makes any pizza topping sing like a songbird in spring.

Of course, we have some mouthwatering topping suggestions if you want to turn things up a notch further. Mushroom and bacon would certainly double down on the savory-salty situation. Even though this sauce is creamy, there's no need to omit the parmesan and mozzarella. There could be an artichoke and spinach scenario that would work for the veggie lovers. Buttery, garlicky shrimp would work well for shellfish fans. We would also be down for a caramelized onion and sliced green apple pairing — with a scattering of bacon crumbles on top — to play tart and sweet against the beautifully savory sauce.

If you grew up eating a diet of chicken nuggets, plain cheese pizza, and cheese-filled hot dogs, the introduction of pesto might have marked your entry into a culinary universe of foods that weren't just bread and beige. Originally from Genoa, Italy, pesto is a workhorse of a condiment that combines everything good in life: basil, garlic, and olive oil. And variations on that theme.

Of course, pesto already belongs in the pizza wheelhouse. Maybe you've enjoyed it dolloped on top of a pie, but we're giving pesto the starring role it has always been gunning for: the sauce layer, where it hits with every bite. It's pesto's world, and we're all just living in it. On a pesto pizza, the tomatoes go on top — that is, if they even go anywhere.

Pesto packs a hefty helping of vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats. But this is pizza we're talking about. It's not like we're over here trying to detox. Pesto makes a great base for different cheeses and toppings, like goat cheese with mushroom and kale. (Wait, we thought we weren't doing healthy.) Another tasty combo might feature feta cheese paired with tomato, olives, and artichoke hearts. And for the true turophiles — or, cheese-lovers — among us, try topping your pesto pie with spinach, roasted chicken, sliced pears, chopped walnuts, and some seriously bangin' gorgonzola or blue cheese crumbles.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Thai peanut sauce. Also commonly called satay sauce, you may have tasted it with fresh spring rolls, chicken satay, or on top of a piping hot bowl of Pad Thai. But have you ... pizza-fied it?

Before we get ahead of ourselves, let's get one thing on the table. Peanut sauce is not the same thing as peanut butter. Not even if you nuke it into a liquid consistency. While peanut sauce packs all of the nutty flavor of peanut butter, it also features a host of additional ingredients that rocket it into a whole new sweet and spicy dimension. Typically, you'll find peanuts, red curry paste, and coconut milk holding down the fort, with the addition of soy sauce, ginger, brown sugar, sesame seeds, rice vinegar, and spices, depending on the region.

An obvious jumping-off point for topping the PSP (Peanut Sauce Pizza — we're making it a thing) would be shredded chicken, green onions, shredded carrots, bean sprouts, and mozzarella, capped off with peanut crumbles and fresh cilantro. Add a quick spritz of fresh lime over the whole thing, and dinner is served.

It looks kind of like pesto, but gremolata is its own thing. Instead of basil, gremolata is made with finely chopped parsley, freshly minced garlic, and insanely fragrant lemon zest. It's the brightest, cheeriest condiment you could ever taste, and it's perfect on pizza.

Since gremolata typically accompanies dishes with deeply rich flavor profiles, it is designed to cut through the heaviness of an osso buco alla milanese or savory mushroom pasta with its contrasting peppery parsley and floral citrus taste. Of course, the same theory applies to a pizza pie. Except we're choosing not to use it as a garnish, and keeping our eye on the dough.

Since the sauce is made with minimal oil from its ingredients, you'll be sprinkling this one on top of the dough instead of spreading it. Toppings might include shredded parmesan cheese, chopped pine nuts, and paper-thin lemon slices, all meant to bake in the oven like a pizza potpourri. Another combo could feature a green farmers market haul, like asparagus, fennel, peas, and a beautiful ricotta cheese to offer a soft landing for the zesty lemon gremolata. Is it weird if we sip a limoncello just to stay on theme? Is the yellow sweater too much?

Emerging from the maze of Poäng armchairs, Malm beds, and Rens sheepskin rugs comes the behemoth of all pizza sauces: ALLEMANSRÄTTEN. Otherwise known as IKEA meatball gravy mix. Just add water and cream, and you're ready to rock.

Seasonings like onion powder, turmeric, paprika, garlic, and pepper give this gravy its signature flavor. And while you might typically find it generously poured on top of your favorite foods, here, we're taking advantage of its creamy texture and rich, earthy notes to play against our poppin' pizza toppings.

For atmosphere, we suggest scattering the contents of a newly-opened Billy bookcase unit on the floor, and chucking out two screws, a shelf, and all the directions. Then, we're going all-in on what many consider to be the national dish of Sweden: Swedish meatballs. With this rich cream sauce, cooked and sliced meatballs, shredded mozzarella, and lingonberry jam (you know we wouldn't forget the best part), it's all skysås (gravy) from here.

Red sauce, but make it slap. Harissa may be a relatively new addition to the world of pizza, but its ancient roots go back to the seventh century, with the first harissa production line launching in Tunisia, in 1948. Now, you can get your harissa on just about everywhere. Including on top of your new favorite slice.

A beautifully spicy and dimensional complement to all sorts of toppings, harissa is typically a blend of roasted peppers, Baklouti peppers, garlic paste, caraway seeds, coriander, cumin, and olive oil. Sometimes dried peppers, chilis, and even rose petals are also incorporated into the mix, depending on the mood. Whatever's in there, it's a fine addition to pies of all kinds.

Harissa is generally considered to be hot and spicy, though, so fair warning: Apply accordingly. But the toppings you choose will definitely factor into your pizza's heat quotient. Pay homage to the harissa heritage with an African-spiced sausage, yogurt, shredded mozzarella, parmesan, and a mint leaf or pomegranate seed topping. Or, keep it simple with a fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced tomatoes, and fresh basil.

File this one under E for easy, effortless, and real-E awesome. Hummus fans already know the drill: This beloved condiment is made from a flawlessly smooth blend of chickpeas, tahini paste, lemon juice, garlic, and a little olive oil. It was only a matter of time before the flatbread-eating hummus lovers were like, wait a minute. Y'know what we could do with this? Roll that beautiful bean footage!

An original export from Syria, hummus blew up in the U.S. when the Sabra brand hit the shelves in 2008. And from the grocery store to your bed (where some of us might be watching "Real Housewives" in our jammies, with a glass of rosé, and a personal hummus pie we just low-key rocked out ourselves), hummus is life.

Naturally, hummus lends itself to a Mediterranean-style flavor combo. Spread a layer of hummus on your pizza dough, and top with feta crumbles, sliced olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and a post-bake drizzle of EVOO. Or, layer your hummus pizza with a Greek olive tapenade, toasted pine nuts, and fresh mint. Just about everything goes with hummus. It's almost as forgiving as your grandma.

If you love black olives, you probably can't get enough of their sweet, smoky, pickle-ish flavor — almost like a fine glass of wine you can stick onto the tips of your fingers. Olive tapenade — which typically boasts a beautiful blend of black olives, capers, anchovies, garlic, parsley, thyme, and EVOO — then becomes the pizza sauce of an olive fan's dreams.

Likely invented in France — home of "it's only champagne if it's from Champagne, France" — the term "tapenade" technically refers only to recipes that feature a strict ratio of black or green olives, and other ingredients. Still, in America, we tapenade with abandon. Let's just say that if you're using mostly olives, you're on the right track.

Spread your olive tapenade over the dough, leaving a clean border around the edge, and then go Greek-inspired with onion, feta, fresh basil, and a drizzle of olive oil. Or, showcase a seasonal fruit with fresh fig halves, goat cheese, and a last minute swirl of balsamic glaze.

The most hallowed sauce anywhere on the planet (according to our informal, saucy study ... and kids who hate broccoli) would have to be ranch dressing. Specifically, Hidden Valley Ranch dressing. More precisely, Hidden Valley Ranch dressing on top of this pizza right here.

But not, like, on top. We aim for the bottom of the top. To say that you've eaten pizza, and yet admit that you have never dipped a slice or a crust into a refreshing pool of ranch dressing, is an unforgivable travesty. It's time to make amends, and use ranch dressing as your pizza sauce.

Admittedly, ranch dressing is the comfy La-Z-Boy of sauces. The creamy, tangy, lightly-seasoned American classic sets you up to easily spike that flavor ball over the net. Top your ranch pizza with buffalo chicken, bacon, red onions and mozzarella. Or, get your veggies in with fresh sliced tomatoes, broccoli florets, mushrooms, and shredded mozzarella. You could even try something out of the box with sautéed garlic, mozzarella, and sliced dill pickles, topped off with a drizzle of your favorite hot sauce. Zing. As Hidden Valley accurately states, ranch dressing isn't just a topping, "It's a way of life."