The Umami-Packed Ingredient That Instantly Amplifies Store-Bought Tomato Sauce

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Tomato sauce, even the pre-seasoned variety containing only the fruit itself, already has plenty of umami quality all on its own. That's thanks, in part, to the tomato's naturally occurring monosodium glutamate, or MSG, the unfairly derided component that gives a number of foods the savory sensation that we also call umami. Anchovies pack a punch of the flavor enhancing stuff too, so when the two ingredients collide, as they are wont to do, that phenom can only intensify.

Anchovies are pulverized to the point of non-recognition to give a lot of recipes that extra oomph. Their special set of skills saves them a permanent place in so many red sauces or Sunday gravies, plenty of flavor-packed steak preparations, and even in Bobby Flay's pantry as his go-to secret ingredient. They're used as a umami infusion in so many marinades, dressings, and other practically invisible ways, that those with anchovy sensitivities or outright allergies must be vigilant in monitoring their presence. While they might taste plenty fishy straight out of the jar or can, their umami essence is just what lingers among myriad other ingredients.

The best way to use anchovies is to buy them and, well, use them. But they can be surprisingly tricky to pick. Because you're probably only going to use a few at a time, it makes sense to skip the tins and pick up a nice little jar like Merro's fillets in olive oil instead. That way you'll have an automatic storage container to pop in the fridge for about a week until you can use the rest.

Once you've sizzled a few of the little swimmers in garlic for all of your pasta sauces, served them whole on pizza or in a restaurant-quality Caesar salad, or ground them into a tapenade, you can even continue using the remaining anchovy oil in these and similar dishes. It's a real snout to tail situation, writ seafood. The leftover oil drops quite handily into soups, dips, and practically anything that can benefit from a little extra umami kick.