If you’re fresh out of it, you can likely craft a substitute for tomato sauce from what's in your pantry. Sure, you could channel your inner Italian nona and spend an afternoon stirring a pot of fresh tomatoes for hours on end, but pre-made tomato sauce is one of our favorite time-saving hacks.
Whether you're in desperate need of tomato sauce for lasagna, pizza, or a shakshuka-inspired skillet, don’t worry: You can create the same sweet-and-savory, velvety sauce from other tomato products. We show you how to save you a trip to the store with these substitutes for tomato sauce.
The 6 Healthiest Reasons to Love Tomatoes—Both Fresh and Canned
With a can of tomatoes, you can pull together a quick tomato sauce in about 20 minutes:
Sauté some finely chopped onion in a pot with olive oil, and then add a bit of minced garlic when the onion has softened.
Add tomatoes, and season to taste with salt, pepper, and chili flakes. If the tomatoes are whole or too chunky for your liking, crush them with your hands, a fork, or a potato masher.
Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the sauce is to your liking.
For an extra smooth sauce, blitz it in a blender or food processor.
There, you’ve made your own speedy tomato sauce! Use this as a 1:1 substitute for pre-made tomato sauce.
Fresh Tomatoes
You can make a 1:1 substitute for tomato sauce with fresh tomatoes. Keep this idea in your back pocket to preserve a glut of summer tomatoes.
When making a sauce with fresh tomatoes, it’s best to avoid their skins, which results in a different texture even when blitzed with the pulp. The easiest way is to slice fresh tomatoes in half, grate them on the cut side, and then discard the skins at the end.
Using your grated tomato, follow the same steps as for cooking canned tomatoes. The only difference is that you don’t have to cook fresh tomatoes for as long, especially if they’re ripe and sweet.
How to Store Tomatoes So They Don't Get Mealy
Tomato Paste
Tomato paste is a thick, concentrated paste made by cooking tomatoes down for a long time, straining them, and then cooking them again. This umami-rich paste can transform into a makeshift tomato sauce when mixed with water. Here's how:
Sauté tomato paste in olive oil with minced garlic, salt, pepper, and chili flakes.
Add water, roughly following a ratio of 1:1, tomato paste to water, and mix well.
Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes to meld the flavors.
Tomato paste is not interchangeable with tomato sauce as-is, but you can use this tomato paste-water mixture as a 1:1 substitute for tomato sauce.
What's the Difference Between Tomato Sauce and Tomato Paste? We Break It Down
Tomato Soup
Tomato soup tends to be sweeter and more liquidy than tomato sauce, so it’s not a perfect 1:1 substitute. We’d avoid using tomato soup for something like pasta sauce, but it can add a nice tomato-y flavor to dishes. Start by adding less tomato soup than you would tomato sauce, and adjust to taste.
Ketchup
With a sweet-and-sour flavor profile and an almost gel-like consistency, ketchup is decidedly not tomato sauce. Please do not use ketchup as a sauce for pasta! Yet like tomato soup, ketchup can add the sweetness of tomatoes to a recipe.
Tomato Purée
Tomato purée is thicker than tomato sauce, but thinner than tomato paste. It can be turned into tomato sauce using the same method as tomato paste, but since it needs less dilution, don’t mix it with as much water. Tomato purée is not a 1:1 substitute for tomato sauce, but tomato puree-based sauce is.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes
You'll find sun-dried tomatoes packaged dry or marinated in oil, and with flavorings or plain. You can use them as a substitute for tomato sauce, but they have to be rehydrated first. Here's how to turn sun-dried tomatoes into a 1;1 substitute for tomato sauce:
For 1 cup of sun-dried tomatoes, pour 1½ cups of water into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
With the dried tomatoes in a large bowl, pour the boiling water over them and set aside until softened, about 1 to 2 hours.
Blend the rehydrated tomatoes with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (or its marinade) to a smooth, thick consistency.
Add herbs and spices—dried basil, salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder—to match the flavor of tomato sauce.
Over the years, various methods have been developed for the preservation of tomatoes such as canning,5 sun-drying and the use of chemical preservatives such as sodium benzoate and sodium metabisulfite6,7 for the preservation of tomato juice, paste, etc.
Over the years, various methods have been developed for the preservation of tomatoes such as canning,5 sun-drying and the use of chemical preservatives such as sodium benzoate and sodium metabisulfite6,7 for the preservation of tomato juice, paste, etc.
In a pinch, Tomato Juice can be a substitution for tomato sauce. Obviously, the juice is much thinner than the sauce. You could either simmer it down, add some tomato paste to thicken it or decrease other liquids in your recipe.
Marinara (also called red sauce) is tomato sauce's thinner, quicker-cooking sister. Recipes vary, but ingredients will often comprise garlic, onion, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, olive oil, oregano, and tomato paste. When you think of “spaghetti sauce”, you're likely thinking of marinara.
Beets – If you're looking to add some sweetness to your salads or a substitute base for pasta sauces, beets can be a great substitute packed with Vitamin C that you would get from tomatoes. Carrots – Similar to beets, carrots can be a great substitute base especially in soups and are a great source of beta-carotene .
Tomato allergy is a type of food allergy that occurs when the immune system overreacts to the proteins present in tomatoes. Tomato allergy is often caused by profilin proteins. These proteins are present in all eukaryotic cells and are identified as allergens in pollen, latex, and plant foods.
Low-Sugar Ketchup: Look for ketchup varieties with reduced sugar or no added sugars for a healthier option.
Homemade Fruit-Based Sauce: Create a homemade sauce using pureed fruits like mango, peach, or pineapple for a naturally sweet and tangy alternative to ketchup.
More Tomato Sauce Substitutes: Ketchup and Tomato Soup
Ketchup: Use 1 cup of ketchup in place of 1 cup of tomato sauce. Add spices to tweak the flavor as needed. A bit of basil is a good choice. Tomato Soup: Add a 10 3/4-ounce can of tomato soup.
Vegetables that can be sautéed quickly — onions, garlic, mushrooms, sweet peppers — or lightly steamed, like broccoli — make a good cooked topping for pasta. (Eggplant can be a little too slow cooking, and summer squash such as zucchini tends to go watery, but if you like them, go ahead.)
Mix 4 tablespoons of tomato paste with 1 1/2 cups of water , 1 1/2 tablespoons flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar. It will be watery when “raw” but once added into a dish like Bolognese, it thickens as it cooks (it only takes 3 minutes to thicken). This makes 400 grams (14 oz) which equates to 1 standard can of tomato.
Yes, you can use ketchup as a substitute for tomato sauce in some recipes, but keep in mind that they have different flavors and consistencies. Ketchup is typically sweeter and thicker than plain tomato sauce, so it may alter the taste and texture of the dish you're preparing.
Here are some alternatives you can use instead of (or in addition to) tomatoes in cooking: Peppers - Bell peppers, jalapenos, or chili peppers can add a similar fruity/savory flavor and colorful appearance. They work well in sauces, soups, and stir fries.
Nomato® is made from a medley of root vegetables and seasonings. It contains no soy, dairy, wheat, gluten, nuts, and of course no tomatoes! Nomato® sauces are available through mail order or store purchase.
Rather than having a thin consistency like a traditional marinara, tomato sauce is often thicker and sits on top of your pasta dishes. The flavors of a tomato sauce are simmered together slowly, giving them time to develop. The end result is a red sauce that is traditionally a bit sweeter than a marinara.
Introduction: My name is Barbera Armstrong, I am a lovely, delightful, cooperative, funny, enchanting, vivacious, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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