What Is a Substitute for Tomato Paste?

What's the best tomato paste substitute?

3 tablespoons of tomato sauce or passata replaces 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, but you need to reduce other liquid in the recipe by 2 tablespoons to compensate. The flavor will be slightly less concentrated, but the recipe still works.

For best results: simmer the tomato sauce in a small pan for 5-10 minutes until reduced by half before adding to the recipe. This concentrates the flavor closer to actual tomato paste. Crushed tomatoes can also work as a substitute using the same 3-to-1 ratio.

Can you use ketchup as a tomato paste substitute?

Yes, but the flavor shifts noticeably. Use 1 tablespoon of ketchup for 1 tablespoon of tomato paste. Ketchup adds sweetness (from sugar) and acidity (from vinegar) that aren't in plain tomato paste, which changes the recipe's flavor balance.

For chili and meat sauces, the sweetness from ketchup often works fine and isn't noticeable. For Italian pasta sauces and recipes where pure tomato flavor matters, the sweetness can come through and clash. To compensate, reduce other sugar in the recipe and add a small pinch of salt to balance ketchup's sweetness.

What about sun-dried tomato puree?

Sun-dried tomato puree (or finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes) is the closest substitute for tomato paste's deeply concentrated flavor. Use 1 tablespoon of puree (or 2 tablespoons of finely chopped) for 1 tablespoon of tomato paste.

The flavor is more intense and slightly smokier than tomato paste, which works particularly well in Italian and Mediterranean dishes. For recipes where the depth of flavor matters most (slow-cooked stews, ragus, certain pizza sauces), sun-dried tomato puree often improves the dish compared to using tomato paste.

When does the tomato paste substitute fail?

For recipes that depend on tomato paste's specific thickening properties (Indian curry bases, certain stews), the substitutes work but may need adjustment. Tomato sauce thins the dish noticeably; cooking the dish longer reduces the extra liquid back to the right consistency.

For pizza sauce, tomato paste contributes both color and a concentrated tomato flavor that holds up to baking. Tomato sauce as a substitute spreads too thin and can make pizza soggy. For these, reduce the tomato sauce substantially before using, or find tomato paste even if it's the small can. For lasagna and bolognese, the tomato paste depth matters; reduced tomato sauce or sun-dried tomato puree are the best substitutes.