Tomatoes cooked down for hours and strained until almost all the water is gone, leaving a dense red concentrate. A spoonful adds colour, body and glutamate-driven savouriness out of proportion to its volume.
What it does in a recipe: Concentrated tomato umami and body - a thickener and depth-builder more than a flavour of its own. Pick the swap that covers that job - the ratios below are written so you can act on them without doing any arithmetic.
Also called: Tomato purée (UK), Double concentrate
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Passata, reduced
1 tbsp tomato paste = 3 tbsp passata simmered down to about 1 tbsp
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4 ways to replace tomato paste
Passata, reduced
Closest match
1 tbsp tomato paste = 3 tbsp passata simmered down to about 1 tbsp
Passata is the same fruit at a lower concentration, so driving off the water brings it to roughly paste strength and the same glutamate density.
MethodReduce in a wide pan over medium heat, stirring near the end - it catches quickly once it thickens.
Trade-offBrighter and less caramelised than commercial paste, which is cooked far longer than a home reduction.
Tomato paste tastes tinny straight from the tube. Fry it in the pan fat for a minute until it darkens before adding liquid - that step is doing most of the work.
At a glance
Tomato paste in summary
Tomato paste at a glance: category, its job in a recipe, the diets it suits, the diets its substitutes can satisfy, and how many substitutes there are.
Can I use passata, reduced instead of tomato paste?
1 tbsp tomato paste = 3 tbsp passata simmered down to about 1 tbsp. Passata is the same fruit at a lower concentration, so driving off the water brings it to roughly paste strength and the same glutamate density. Brighter and less caramelised than commercial paste, which is cooked far longer than a home reduction.
Can I use canned tomatoes, blended and reduced instead of tomato paste?
1 tbsp tomato paste = 1/4 cup canned whole or crushed tomatoes, blended and simmered down to 1 tbsp. Same principle as passata, just starting further back - you are removing water to concentrate the sugars and glutamates that give paste its punch. Takes 10-15 minutes and adds a slightly seedy, fresher note.
Can I use ketchup instead of tomato paste?
1 tbsp tomato paste = 2 tbsp ketchup, reducing the recipe's sugar by about 1 tsp. Ketchup is tomato concentrate already, so it carries the colour and body; the adjustment accounts for the sugar and vinegar riding along with it. Sweeter and tangier, which shows most in a long-simmered ragù where there is nowhere for the extra sugar to hide.
Can I use sun-dried tomato paste instead of tomato paste?
1 tbsp tomato paste = 1 tbsp sun-dried tomato paste. Drying concentrates the same sugars and glutamates by a different route, giving an even more intense savoury tomato flavour. Much stronger, saltier and more raisin-like. Start with two-thirds the quantity and taste before adding the rest.
Cooking around an allergy? Diet tags here describe the ingredient itself, not any particular brand. Processed products change formulation without notice and shared production lines are common, so read the label on everything you use. A severe allergy is a medical matter - confirm with the manufacturer or your clinician rather than relying on a substitution chart.