Out of Tomato sauce, one case
How to substitute tomato paste for tomato sauce
5 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Tomato paste and water
½ cup paste + ½ cup water for every cup of tomato sauce
Mix equal parts tomato paste and water: ½ cup paste plus ½ cup water replaces 1 cup of tomato sauce. Whisk until smooth, then season, because canned tomato sauce is salted and lightly seasoned and most paste is not. Start with ¼ teaspoon salt per cup and taste.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- The tweak —
- Whisk equal parts paste and water until smooth, then add ¼ tsp salt per cup and taste. Canned tomato sauce is seasoned; most paste is not.
- Best for —
- any recipe that calls for canned tomato sauce
- Pantry —
- Likely in your cupboard
One casethe full tomato sauce card
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of 1 cup tomato sauce | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tomato paste and waterany recipe that calls for canned tomato sauce | ½ cup paste + ½ cup waterTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | Tomato pureewhen the paste runs out | 1 cupTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Crushed tomatoespasta sauce | 1 cupTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Marinara or jarred pasta saucepasta bakes and lasagna | 1 cupTweak it | Tweak it |
| 5 | Ketchupmeatloaf, sloppy joes and baked beans | 1 cupYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
Tomato paste and water
the same tomato flavor, a little deeper and less salty
Tomato sauce is close to tomato paste with the water left in. Equal parts paste and water, whisked smooth, give the same body and a slightly deeper cooked-tomato flavor.
- Best for
- any recipe that calls for canned tomato sauce, chili, soup, stew and casseroles, pasta sauce and pizza sauce, meatloaf and sloppy joes
- Prep
- Whisk equal parts paste and water until smooth, then add ¼ tsp salt per cup and taste. Canned tomato sauce is seasoned; most paste is not.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- Paste used straight, with no water: the dish comes out thick, dark and too strong, and it scorches. A sauce served uncooked tastes raw and tinny until the mixture has simmered for a few minutes.
Tomato puree
plain cooked tomato, slightly more concentrated
Canned tomato puree is cooked, strained tomato, the same thing as tomato sauce but thicker and usually unseasoned.
- Best for
- when the paste runs out, pasta sauce and lasagna, soups and braises
- Prep
- Thin each cup with 2 to 3 tbsp water if it looks thicker than sauce, and add ¼ tsp salt per cup to start.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- Used straight in a recipe with little other liquid it cooks up thicker than the recipe expects, and the dish tastes flat until you salt it.
Crushed tomatoes
fresher and a little brighter than sauce
Crushed tomatoes are the same canned tomato in a coarser, slightly looser form. Cup for cup they bring the same tomato, acid and liquid.
- Best for
- pasta sauce, chili, soups and stews, braises
- Prep
- Blend for 10 seconds if the dish should be smooth, and simmer 5 to 10 minutes longer if it looks thin.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- A smooth sauce or a glaze, unless you blend them first. They are a little wetter than tomato sauce, so a quick-cooked dish can end up loose.
Marinara or jarred pasta sauce
herbs and garlic come along with the tomato
Tomato sauce that has already been seasoned with garlic, onion, basil, oregano, olive oil and often a little sugar. The body is right; the flavor arrives pre-decided.
- Best for
- pasta bakes and lasagna, meatballs, pizza
- Prep
- Hold back the salt, garlic and dried herbs the recipe adds until you have tasted the dish.
- Where it fails
- Dishes that should not taste Italian, such as enchilada sauce, curry or a sweet-and-sour sauce. Skip jars with cream or cheese in them.
Ketchup
sweeter and sharper, with a vinegar edge
Ketchup is tomato concentrate with sugar, vinegar, salt and spice added: about 1 teaspoon of sugar in every tablespoon. It gives tomato and body, plus sweetness and tang that tomato sauce does not have.
- Best for
- meatloaf, sloppy joes and baked beans, recipes that need ½ cup or less
- Prep
- Leave out any sugar and vinegar the recipe adds, then taste before salting.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- Pasta sauce, pizza, shakshuka, tomato soup and any dish where tomato sauce is the main ingredient: it tastes of ketchup. Do not use it in a tested canning recipe.
Tips for substituting tomato sauce
5 tips- The amounts: 2 tbsp paste plus 2 tbsp water makes ¼ cup of sauce; ¼ cup plus ¼ cup makes ½ cup; ½ cup plus ½ cup makes 1 cup.
- A 6 oz can of paste is about 2/3 cup. Whisked with one can of water it makes about 1 1/3 cups, a little more than an 8 oz can of tomato sauce.
- For a 15 oz can of tomato sauce, about 1 ¾ cups, use ¾ cup plus 2 tbsp of paste and the same amount of water.
- To get closer to the can, season each cup with ¼ tsp salt and a pinch each of onion powder and garlic powder. Add a pinch of sugar only if it tastes sharp.
- In a cooked dish, fry the paste in the oil for 1 to 2 minutes before the water goes in. It darkens slightly and loses its raw edge. Then simmer at least 5 minutes.
Questions
5 questionsWhat is the ratio of tomato paste to water for tomato sauce?
One to one. Equal parts tomato paste and water give the thickness of canned tomato sauce: ½ cup of each for 1 cup of sauce. For a thinner sauce, add more water a tablespoon at a time.
How do I turn a 6 oz can of tomato paste into tomato sauce?
Empty the can into a bowl, fill the can with water, and whisk the two together. You get about 1 1/3 cups of sauce. Season with a generous ¼ teaspoon of salt and taste. An 8 oz can of tomato sauce is 1 cup, so you will have a little left over.
Can I add the paste and the water straight to the pot?
Yes, in chili, soup, stew or anything else that simmers. Stir in the paste, add the water, and stir until no lumps remain. Whisk them together first only when the sauce goes on without much cooking, as on pizza.
Can I use broth or milk in place of the water?
Broth works and adds flavor: use the same amount and cut the salt, since most broth is salted. Milk does not make tomato sauce; it makes a cream-of-tomato base, and it can curdle if it boils with the acid in the paste.
Does it taste the same as canned tomato sauce?
Close, once it is seasoned and has cooked for a few minutes. Paste is cooked longer than sauce, so the flavor is a little deeper and less fresh. In a dish with other ingredients the difference is hard to find.