Out of Tomato paste, one case
How to substitute tomato sauce for tomato paste
5 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Tomato sauce, reduced
3 tbsp for every 1 tbsp of tomato paste
Use 3 tablespoons of canned tomato sauce for each 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. Tomato sauce is paste with water in it, so deal with the extra liquid: simmer the sauce in the pan for about 5 minutes until it darkens and thickens, or take 2 tablespoons of other liquid out of the recipe. The flavor is the same, a little lighter.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- The tweak —
- Add the sauce to the pan after the onions and garlic and simmer about 5 minutes, stirring, until it is thick and a shade darker. Then carry on with the recipe.
- Best for —
- soups, stews and chili
- Pantry —
- Likely in your cupboard
One casethe full tomato paste card
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of 1 tbsp tomato paste | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tomato sauce, reducedsoups, stews and chili | 3 tbspTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | Tomato sauce, straight from the cansoups and stews with a lot of broth | 3 tbspTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Tomato puree or passata, reducedpasta sauces | 3 tbspTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Ketchupmeatloaf and meatballs | 2 tbspYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 5 | Marinara or pasta sauce, reducedItalian soups, pasta sauces and braises | ¼ cupYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
Tomato sauce, reduced
the same tomato flavor, slightly less deep
Plain canned tomato sauce cooked down to roughly a third of its volume, which is close to what paste is. This gives both the tomato flavor and the thickness.
- Best for
- soups, stews and chili, pasta sauces and braises, rice dishes and curries
- Prep
- Add the sauce to the pan after the onions and garlic and simmer about 5 minutes, stirring, until it is thick and a shade darker. Then carry on with the recipe.
- Suits
- vegan, gluten-free
- Where it fails
- Recipes with no pan stage and no liquid to spare, such as a meatloaf mix, a dry rub or a thick pizza sauce: the extra water makes them loose.
Canned tomato sauce is usually salted and sometimes seasoned with onion and garlic powder. Hold back some of the recipe's salt and taste at the end.
Tomato sauce, straight from the can
lighter and fresher; less of the cooked, concentrated note
The quick version for dishes that already have plenty of liquid. The sauce goes in as it is and the recipe gives up some water or stock to make room.
- Best for
- soups and stews with a lot of broth, slow cooker recipes, long-simmered sauces
- Prep
- Take 2 tbsp of water, stock or other liquid out of the recipe for each 1 tbsp of paste replaced.
- Suits
- vegan, gluten-free
- Where it fails
- It does not thicken the way paste does, and it skips the step where paste is browned in oil, so the dish has less depth. In a slow cooker nothing evaporates, so do not skip removing the liquid.
Tomato puree or passata, reduced
clean tomato, close to paste once reduced
Thicker than tomato sauce and unseasoned, so it needs a little less cooking down and brings no extra salt.
- Best for
- pasta sauces, soups and braises, when the dish is already well salted
- Prep
- Use 2 to 3 tbsp per 1 tbsp of paste and simmer a few minutes until thick.
- Suits
- vegan, gluten-free
- Where it fails
- The same as tomato sauce: no help where there is no liquid to spare.
Ketchup
sweeter and tangier
Already thick, so it works where tomato sauce is too wet. It brings sugar and vinegar with it.
- Best for
- meatloaf and meatballs, barbecue sauces and glazes, sloppy joes
- Prep
- Cut a teaspoon of sugar and any vinegar from the recipe.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- Italian sauces, curries and anything that should not taste sweet.
Marinara or pasta sauce, reduced
tomato plus herbs and garlic
Thinner than plain tomato sauce and fully seasoned with herbs, garlic, oil and often sugar.
- Best for
- Italian soups, pasta sauces and braises, dishes that already use basil, oregano and garlic
- Prep
- Simmer it down until thick, and cut back the recipe's herbs, garlic and salt.
- Suits
- vegetarian
- Where it fails
- Chili, curry, Mexican rice and other dishes where Italian herbs do not belong.
Tips for substituting tomato paste
5 tips- The amounts scale: 2 tbsp of paste is 6 tbsp of sauce, and ¼ cup of paste is ¾ cup of sauce.
- A 6 oz can of tomato paste holds about 10 tbsp. Replacing a whole can takes nearly 2 cups of tomato sauce, which is slightly more than one 15 oz can, cooked down to about 2/3 cup.
- Reduce the sauce in a wide skillet, not a deep pot. A few tablespoons thicken in about 5 minutes over medium heat; ¾ cup of sauce takes 15 to 20 minutes to boil down to about ¼ cup. Stir so it does not catch.
- If the recipe browns the paste in oil, do the same with the reduced sauce: once it is thick, let it fry for 1 minute until it darkens before adding liquid. That is where the depth comes from.
- Taste for salt at the end. Canned tomato sauce is salted and tomato paste often is not.
Questions
5 questionsHow much tomato sauce equals 1 tablespoon of tomato paste?
3 tablespoons. Either simmer it down for about 5 minutes until thick, or leave 2 tablespoons of other liquid out of the recipe to make up for the extra water.
How much tomato sauce replaces a 6 oz can of tomato paste?
Nearly 2 cups, since the can holds about 10 tablespoons of paste. One 15 oz can of tomato sauce, about 1 ¾ cups, is close enough for most recipes. Simmer it down to about 2/3 cup, or take about 1 ¼ cups of liquid out of the recipe.
Can I use tomato sauce in place of tomato paste in chili?
Yes. Chili is one of the easiest places to make this swap: use 3 tablespoons of sauce per tablespoon of paste and leave out 2 tablespoons of the broth or water per tablespoon replaced, or simmer the chili uncovered a little longer to thicken.
Do I have to cook the tomato sauce down?
Not in a soup, stew or anything with broth you can cut back. You do in a dish that relies on the paste for thickness, such as a pan sauce or a filling, or where there is no liquid to remove.
Is tomato sauce the same as tomato paste with water?
Close. Tomato sauce is cooked, strained tomato at a thinner concentration, usually with salt and sometimes seasonings. That is why the swap also works in reverse: 1 tablespoon of paste stirred into 2 tablespoons of water makes 3 tablespoons of tomato sauce.