What Is Tomato sauce and How Can I Use It?

Wondering what to do with tomato sauce? This guide covers how to pick it, cook it, store it, and swap it, plus 1,234 recipes to put it to work.

What is tomato sauce?

Tomato sauce is any of a very large number of sauces made primarily from tomatoes, usually to be served as part of a dish (rather than as a condiment).

Tomato sauces are common for meat and vegetables, but they are perhaps best known as sauces for pasta dishes.

Tomatoes have a rich flavour, low liquid content, very soft flesh which breaks down easily, and the right composition to thicken into a sauce when they are cooked.

These qualities make them ideal for simple and appealing sauces.

The simplest tomato sauces consist just of chopped tomato flesh (with the skins and seeds optionally removed), cooked in a little olive oil and simmered until it loses its raw flavour, and seasoned with salt.

Water (or another, more flavourful liquid such as stock or wine) is often added to keep it from drying out too much.

Onion and garlic are almost always sweated or sautéed at the beginning before the tomato is added.

Other seasonings typically include basil, oregano, parsley, and possibly some spicy red pepper or black pepper. Ground or chopped meat is also common.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 cup (244g)

Amount per Serving

Calories 90Calories from Fat 4

% Daily Value *

Total Fat 0.5g 1%

Saturated Fat 0.1g 0%

Trans Fat ~

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 26mg 1%

Total Carbohydrate 18.1g 6%

Dietary Fiber 4g 15%

Sugars 10.3

Protein 3.2g

Vitamin A 17% Vitamin C 53%

Calcium 3% • Iron 10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your caloric needs.

recipeland.com/nutrition

Quick facts

Where to find tomato sauce: Tomato sauce is usually found in the pasta section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

Food group: Tomato sauce is a member of the Vegetables and Vegetable Products US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese: 番茄酱
British (UK) term: Tomato sauce
en français: sauce tomate
en español: salsa de tomate

How much does tomato sauce weigh?

Amount	Weight
1 cup	244 grams

Vegetables and Vegetable Products

Alfalfa sprouts 47 Artichoke hearts 250 Artichokes 82 Asparagus 449 Bamboo shoots 144 Lima beans 129 Green beans 543 Beets 204 Broccoli, frozen 129 Cabbage 684

Recipes using tomato sauce

There are 1234 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Eggs Baked in Peppers

Eggs, simply baked in sweet red bell pepper served with tomato sauce. Just 3 ingredients create a delightfully creative breakfast or brunch that even kids like.

Beefy Chili

Beefy chili is a Texas-style chili made with fresh dried chili pod paste, ground beef, oregano, cumin, and red wine. No beans, no powder, just deep slow-simmered authentic flavor.

Paneer Basmati Pilaf--Paneer Pulao

Paneer Pulao is a delightful and mildly aromatic Indian rice dish that combines basmati rice with paneer, which is a type of Indian cottage cheese.

Healthy Pepperoni & Veggie Pizza

A great healthy pizza for a delicious lunch or dinner.

Acapulco Baked Eggs

Learn how to make easy Baked Eggs with simple ingredients on hand. Fluffy eggs that puff up in the oven, topped with cheese and a bit of texture from green peppers optionally garnished with tomatoes, make for a welcome breakfast changeup.

Hamburgers on the Halfshell

Hamburgers on the halfshell, open-faced raw beef burgers broiled on a bun with tomato sauce, onions, pepper, and melted cheese. A pantry-clearing weeknight version of the classic burger.

Buffalo Chicken Wings #4

Classic Buffalo wings with homemade tomato-based hot sauce and creamy blue cheese dressing. Deep-fried golden, tossed in tangy heat, served with chilled celery.

Santoreggia Rosso Sauce (Savory Red Sauce)

My family loves Italian food so I created this recipe to fit our tastes of a savory marinara sauce that is great over pasta, in lasagna, on pizza and as a dipping sauce. We love it over cooked spaghetti squash. You can make it with the meatballs or leave them out. It very freezes well.

Best Meatballs & Spaghetti Sauce

Italian meatballs and spaghetti sauce simmer parmesan-laced beef meatballs in a wine-spiked tomato sauce with onion, garlic, green pepper, basil, and oregano. Weeknight ready in 45 minutes.

Mom's Favourite Chili

Mom's chili stacks beef, kidney beans, tomatoes, and a quiet blend of cumin, oregano, and basil into a slow-simmered family-style pot. Old-school weeknight chili with a long-simmer payoff.

Zesty Meatball Sandwiches- Crock Pot

Try something different for lunch with this scrumptious dish you can use to make amazing sandwiches.

Chili, Chuck Morford

A hearty beef and two-bean chili loaded with jalapenos, kidney and black beans, and a deep spice blend, slow-simmered with an optional splash of beer. Big-batch, crowd-pleasing, and seriously warming.

Chili Spiced Beef & Bean Stew

A succulent dish that brings some variety to dinner and a tantalizing flavor everyone will enjoy!

Spinach Lasagne

Spinach lasagne layers a creamy ricotta-parmesan-spinach filling with no-boil noodles and tomato sauce, all under bubbling mozzarella and Monterey jack. A vegetarian classic that skips the noodle-boiling step.

Alamo Chili

A simple but savory chili made with succulent stewing beef, pinto beans and jalapeno peppers.

Remember the Alamo Chili

Remember the Alamo Chili: a hearty Texas-style ground beef chili built on fresh hot chilies, garlic, cumin and citrusy Mexican oregano in a rich tomato base. Add beans if you must, and finish with a cool spoonful of sour cream.

Yummy Spaghetti with Meatballs

Spaghetti and meatballs simmered in a slow-cooked tomato sauce with red wine, mushrooms, green pepper, basil, and oregano. Tender pan-fried beef meatballs and a deeply layered sauce that builds for two hours.

Herbed Tomato Soup

Herbed tomato soup microwaves a tomato sauce base with sauteed onion, basil, and thyme into a 15-minute single-serve soup. Low fat, low calorie, served with Parmesan croutons.

Homemade Baked Noodles

Asian-style baked noodle casserole layered with stir-fried vegetables, creamy white sauce, and a golden breadcrumb crust. A fusion comfort dish that transforms simple ingredients into something special.

Cobble Corn Chili Tacos

Cobble corn chili tacos stuff crispy taco shells with a chunky chili-style ground beef filling loaded with corn, stewed tomatoes, and celery. A 45-minute weeknight Tex-Mex pantry dinner.

Meatballs in Tomato Sauce

Meatballs in tomato sauce is so popular at our daily cooking, it is delicious and filling, and everyone loves it!

Papoutsakia with Meatballs

Greek-style meatball and tomato soup with oregano, garlic, optional zucchini, and rice or pasta. Hearty, herby beef meatballs in a rich tomato broth.

Nice Chicken Taco Soup

This is an excellent recipe, low in fat and full of fibre.

Bud's Sunday (2-21) Chilli

Two-meat Sunday chili with cubed sirloin tip and ground beef, three cans of tomatoes, chili beans, wine, and a generous spice rub. Cook, cool, reheat for deep flavor.

Grilled Chorizo Pizza

Grilled pizza is absolutely flavorful, grilling develops the smokey flavor, and crispy texture on both toppings and crust. This pizza is spread with tomato sauce, topped with Chorizo slices, sweet bell pepper rings and mozzarella cheese. Enjoy the different yummy flavors and layers of the textures all in one bite.

Bowl of Compassion Vegetarian Chili

Vegetarian chili loaded with kidney beans, three kinds of peppers, jalapenos, and TVP for hearty texture. A cookoff-tested vegan chili that tastes even better the next day.

Ropa Vieja

Ropa vieja is a classic Cuban shredded beef dish braised in a rich tomato sauce with cumin, oregano, garlic, and green peppers. Served over white rice with fried plantains on the side.

Bandera Chili

Texas Bandera chili with ground chuck, tomato sauce, lite beer, and jalapeño pinto beans. Bold chili powder and a long simmer build the kind of deep, beefy stew that gets better the next day.

Tom's Meatball Soup

Turkey meatball soup with milk-soaked bread, simmered in tomato-spiked chicken broth with onion, carrots, celery, and a whisper of allspice. A weeknight dinner soup that feels Sunday-cooked.

Mediterranean Pasta

Mediterranean pasta with chicken, bacon, artichoke hearts, olives, and rosemary in tomato sauce over vermicelli. Crumbled feta on top. Weeknight dinner classic.

Chorizo & Black Olive Pizza

Recipe made by the ambassador for Olives from Spain José Pizarro. Spain is the largest producer of olives in the world. The four main varieties of Spanish table olive available from major supermarkets in the UK are: Manzanilla, Gordal, Hojiblanca and Cacereña. Spanish table olives can be served in a different number of ways including: whole, pitted, stuffed with one or more ingredients such as pimento, onion, tuna, anchovy, salmon, almond, etc. It is a healthy seasonal ingredient, with the Spanish olive harvest running from September-March.

Burt Reynold's Stew

Burt Reynolds' red wine beef stew from a 1984 celebrity Christmas book, with round steak browned in bacon fat, simmered in wine and tomato sauce, then finished with potatoes, carrots, celery, and mushrooms.

Besttexas Chili

Slow cooker Texas-style chili with ground beef, kidney and pinto beans, plum tomatoes, and a touch of warming whole allspice. A 4-hour low-and-slow chili built from pantry staples.

Cactus Chili No. 2982

Serve with sour cream, chopped green onions, grated sharp Cheddar and crushed red pepper flakes alongside.

Easy Delicious Chili Dogs

Homemade chili dogs topped with beefy chili made from ground beef, kidney beans, tomato sauce, and chili powder. A diner-style classic for game day or weeknight dinner.

Sausage & Lentil Soup

Sausage and lentil soup that's even better the next day. Browned sausage, vegetables, and herbs simmered into a hearty broth, with lentils added near the end so they stay tender, not mushy.

Glazed Meatloaf

Glazed turkey meatloaf bound with cooked rice and bread crumbs, finished with a sweet ketchup-honey glaze that lacquers the top in the last five minutes. A leaner, lighter take on the diner classic.

Butterfield Stageline Chili

Butterfield Stageline chili: hand-chopped brisket and ground pork simmered slow with green chiles, tequila, beer, and toasted spices. Texas-style crowd feeder.

Mama Delilah's Minestrone

A very hearty version of my favorite soup. Add crushed red pepper to turn up the heat. It's delicious!! Perfect comfort food for a cold winter's day!

Mom's Taco Casserole

Easy taco casserole with seasoned ground beef, tomato sauce, and tortilla chips baked under melted cheese. Six ingredients and 30 minutes start to finish.

Italian Meatballs & Spaghetti

Italian meatballs and spaghetti features oven-baked beef meatballs simmered in a quick basil-oregano tomato sauce with Parmesan stirred in at the end. Classic family weeknight dinner over a bed of pasta.

Tomato, Basil & Feta Pasta

Whole wheat spaghetti is tossed with tomato sauce, fresh basil, feta cheese and olives. A quick, tasty yet healthy one-pot meal, perfect for busy week days.

Grilled Tomato & Mozzarella Pizza with Basil

Grilled pizza is absolutely flavorful, grilling develops the smokey flavor, and crispy texture on both toppings and crust. This simply delicious pizza is made with freshly sliced sweet vine-ripe tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil. Cheesy, juicy and refreshing! Delicious pizza is made within no time and it's quite simple!

Beau's Sweet-Sour Chicken Wings

Sweet-sour chicken wings pressure cooked for tenderness, then glazed with a tomato, orange marmalade, ginger, and garlic sauce and broiled until sticky and caramelized. A hot sauce finish adds adjustable heat.

Baked Calzones

A Calzone is a turnover that originates from Italy. It is made of ingredients similar to pizza folded over and shaped like a crescent. The typical Calzone is stuffed with tomato and mozzarella, and may include other ingredients usually associated with pizza toppings.