You only need a little tomato paste: Made from pureed tomatoes that are roasted and reduced to a thick paste, this concentrated product adds unmatched depth to tomato sauces, soups and main courses.
Tomato paste is usually made from paste tomatoes (also known as Roma, plum or sauce tomatoes), which have a pointed base, dense flesh and few seeds. They are often fried briefly in oil at the beginning of a recipe using tomato paste, to give the final dish a caramel-like richness.
You can make your own tomato paste by simmering sliced tomatoes, running them through a food mill, and slowly roasting the resulting puree. “The extended caramelization allows the flavors to become layered, nuanced, and evolve over the long time they last on your tongue,” says chef and food writer Kim McDonnell.
Tomato paste is also widely available at grocery stores in cans and tubes. Anna Teoktisto, who manages recipe development and testing at the Food & Wine Test Kitchen, recommends Muir Glen brand, which has a rich tomato flavor. There are also double concentrated tomato pastes available, which are more concentrated than regular tomato paste.
How to Store Tomato Paste
Once opened, tomato paste can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month, but since you’ll likely only use it in small quantities, Teoktisto recommends freezing it after opening.
“Instead of using just the two tablespoons you need and throwing the rest away or putting it in the fridge to spoil, place two tablespoons onto small pieces of baking paper, roll each piece up, then place in a resealable container and freeze until you need the tomato paste again. This way the tomato paste will last indefinitely,” she says.
Make the most of your jar, can, or tube of tomato paste with these recipes.
Tomato paste
Food & Wine / Photography: Jennifer Causey / Food Styling: Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling: Clarice Spollen
Homemade tomato paste is sweet and tart, with delicate layers of flavour developed through extended caramelisation. Take five hours to make your own and compare it to store-bought.
Fire-baked tomato bisque
Julia Hartbeck
Tomato paste enriches this creamy, flavorful soup, which is ready in just over 30 minutes.
Shakshuka (tomato and pepper stew with poached eggs and harissa)
Kelsey Hansen / Food Styling: Annie Probst / Prop Styling: Breanna Ghazali
Tomato paste and diced tomatoes are at the heart of the aromatic stew used in shakshuka, a hearty breakfast dish from the Middle East and North Africa.
Curry Shrimp Etouffee
Victor Protacio / Food Styling: Tory Cox / Prop Styling: Josh Hoggle
Tomato paste and canned tomatoes add depth of flavor to this aromatic, rich and comforting Vietnamese Cajun shellfish dish served with sauce and rice.
Cola braised short ribs and risotto
Frederick Hardy II / Food Styling: Tory Cox / Prop Styling: Claire Spollen
This sweet and complex version features braised short ribs so tender they fall off the bone easily, coated with vegetables in tomato paste and served over risotto. bear.
Smoky bean and vegetable tomato soup
Combining tomato paste with sun-dried tomatoes creates a flavorful soup in record time for a quick and satisfying dinner.
Currywurst
Food & Wine / Photography: Jen Causey / Food Styling: Richon Hannahs / Prop Styling: Josh Hoggle
Make the Curried Tomato Sauce up to 1 week in advance for tender, juicy, flavorful sausages.
Lamb Pastelon (Puerto Rican Plantain Casserole)
Greg Dupree / Food Styling: Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling: Kristin Keeley
In this Puerto Rican-inspired baked casserole, tomato paste adds depth to a spicy ground beef filling layered with ripe plantain slices and mozzarella cheese.
Pasta e ceci (chickpea pasta)
Jennifer Causey / Food Styling: Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling: Christina Daly
Fragrant with garlic and scented with thyme and rosemary, tomato paste adds a hint of umami to this traditional, hearty, one-pot vegetarian Italian dish.
Pasta ncacciata (Sicilian style baked pasta)
Fred Hardy II / Food Styling: Emily Neighbors-Hall / Prop Styling: Christina Daly
There are many variations on the Sicilian “ncasciata,” and chef Michael Gulotta packs his version with tender eggplant, melted caciocavallo cheese, and the classic combination of tomato paste and crushed tomatoes.
Shrimp Fra Diavolo
Food & Wine / Photography: Robbie Lozano / Food Styling: Emily Neighbors-Hall / Prop Styling: Josh Hoggle
A spicy Italian-American seafood dish with shrimp simmered in a delicious tomato sauce made with tomato paste and crushed canned tomatoes. Serve with pasta, polenta or grilled bread.
Spaghetti alla asassina
Victor Protacio / Food Styling: Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling: Gillian Knox
This spicy “Assassin’s Spaghetti” is made in a skillet by adding a mixture of tomato paste and boiling water to pasta, resulting in crispy, caramelized pasta that absorbs plenty of tomato flavor.
Obe Atta (Nigerian chicken, tomato and pepper stew)
Christopher Testani / Food Styling: Victoria Granoff / Prop Styling: Tom Driver
This traditional chicken stew by chef Simileoluwa Adebajo uses both canned tomatoes and tomato paste in a spicy tomato sauce.
Tomato coconut chutney
Christopher Testani / Food Styling: Victoria Granoff / Prop Styling: Tom Driver
This smooth, spicy chutney from chef Vishwesh Bhatt has a rich tomato flavor from tomato paste and canned tomatoes.
Jasmine Chicken Tikka Masala
Greg Dupree / Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling: Audrey Taylor
Mixed with crushed tomatoes and tomato paste, this masala takes on a jam-like consistency and results in charred chicken dia with a floral aroma and softness.
Beef stew with mustard greens
This hearty, flavorful one-pot stew has a generous 1/4 cup tomato paste for extra flavor, is loaded with tender chuck roast, and seasoned with a cinnamon stick.
