What Is Tomato Paste & How to Use It
Tomato paste is an essential pantry staple to have on hand for
whipping up delicious, deeply flavored meals-it can transform a ho-hum recipe, like a soup or sauce, into something really
special. A little bit goes a long way, though, which is why you will most often find tomato paste in small 6-ounce cans. With
most recipes only calling for a tablespoon or two of tomato paste, even if you buy the tiniest can, you will still have so
much leftover. You can always refrigerate the rest (and hope you remember to use it before it starts growing mold) or freeze
it for use down the road (read more on the best way to do this below). Or, better yet, you could make the shift from
canned tomato paste to tomato paste in a tube
(maybe our favorite option). Here is what you need to know about tomato paste in general, why you should try buying it in a
tube, and what to make once you have it.
What Is Tomato Paste?
First things first. What is tomato paste, anyway? Tomato paste is basically super-concentrated tomato sauce. If you
take tomatoes and cook them down, strain the skin and seeds from the mixture and continue to cook the sauce down until it
forms a thick consistency, you get
sachet tomato paste
. Manufactured tomato pastes often include a stabilizer, like citric acid, and salt (you can also find no-salt-added
options), and sometimes herbs and spices. There are also options for double-concentrated and triple-concentrated
tomato ketchup, meaning it is even more potent.
Why You Need Tomato Paste in Your Pantry
The benefit of using
tomato ketchup sachet
over other canned tomatoes (like tomato puree, crushed tomatoes or diced tomatoes) or even fresh tomatoes, is that you
get the deep tomato flavor without all the extra water, making it great for recipes where you do not want a ton of liquid,
like meatloaf or taco filling. Tomato paste can be used to intensify flavor over time in slow-cooked recipes or can quickly
add a burst of flavor in quick 30-minute recipes for weeknights. To get the most flavor potential out of your tomato paste,
plan to add it early on in the cooking process before adding liquids like water, broth or other canned tomatoes. This way,
the tomatoes have the chance to caramelize and develop even further.
Tomato Paste in a Tube Exists and You Need It in Your Life
Yes, it exists and yes, you need to buy it. Tubed tomato paste is a convenient alternative to canned tomato paste
that lets you use just what you need, without worrying about what to do with the rest of the can. It is made the same exact
same way as the canned stuff but is packaged in a convenient squeezable tube with a screw cap that preserves the
bulk tomato paste for longer. Most tubes are 4.5 ounces and yield
9 tablespoons, which is comparable to the 6-ounce cans that contain 10 tablespoons of tomato paste. Look for tubed tomato
paste on the shelf next to the
canned tomato ketchup
, or if your grocery store does not carry it, you can buy it here. While it is a little pricier than its canned
counterpart-$3.79 for a 4.5-ounce tube versus $1.19 for a 6-ounce can-you will ultimately get more value out of the tube by
wasting less.
How to Use Tomato Paste
There are so many delicious ideas for how to use tomato paste. Want to whip up a quick homemade tomato sauce? What
about a creamy tomato soup to go along with your grilled cheese? Tomato paste is a key ingredient that will add tons of
tomatoey flavor quickly. Beyond the obvious option of using
220L drum tomato paste to make a tomato-heavy recipe, like sauce or soup, you can also use tomato paste
to elevate the flavor of other recipes-like we did in this Jackfruit Sloppy Joes recipe, in the dipping sauce for these Air-
Fryer Zucchini Fries and in our Slow-Cooker Butter Chicken recipe.
When to Use Tomato Paste in a Tube
All of these recipes use tomato paste in different ways and call for just a few tablespoons, which is where tomato
paste in a tube comes in handy, so you can use just what you need.
Rather than using store-bought taco seasoning that can be super high in sodium, try the homemade variation in this
stuffed sweet potato recipe that uses tomato paste to add extra flavor.