This is a recipe for how to use tomato paste as a replacement for canned tomato. It’s a recipe I created during the COVID pandemic lockdown here in Sydney, Australia, during which supermarket shelves were emptied of canned foods including canned tomato (crushed, diced etc).
Background – COVID and the canned tomato shortage
When the COVID Pandemic first hit the shores of Australia and Sydney went into lockdown in March 2020, grocery store shelves were cleared of long shelf life items with a rush of panic buying. Things like pasta, dried beans, rice and all manner of canned goods.
While canned tomato was one such item that was always sold out, tomato paste was still widely available.
Because canned tomato is a key ingredient in so many recipes, from Bolognese to soups, pasta bakes to stews, pies to curries, I decided to come up with a way to substitute tomato paste for canned tomatoes.
To substitute tomato paste for canned tomato, you need to cook it with water and flour to achieve the same consistency and flavour.
How to substitute tomato paste for canned tomato
Mix 4 tablespoons of tomato paste with 1 1/2 cups of water , 1 1/2 tablespoons flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar. It will be watery when “raw” but once added into a dish like Bolognese, it thickens as it cooks (it only takes 3 minutes to thicken).
This makes 400 grams (14 oz) which equates to 1 standard can of tomato.
And it tastes just like using canned tomato!
How to use it
Use in recipes that call for any canned tomato – diced, crushed – OR tomato passata. Add it at the time the recipe calls for the canned tomato to be added. Cook it just like it’s normal canned tomato!
Just some background info – for those interested!
Why it isn’t just water + tomato paste
Tomato paste is thicker and more sour than canned tomato. And though one might assume you can just use a big dollop of tomato paste + water in the place of a can of tomato, you can’t. You will end up with either:
-
It’s too thin and the flavour is too weak; or
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It’s thick enough and tomatoey enough, but it’s way too sour.
So in order to “make” canned tomato using tomato paste, you need to loosen it with water, but then thicken it with flour.
Why you need sugar
Because tomato paste is sour!
Why I’m sharing it now – even though the Sydney lockdown finished months ago
Because sadly, our friends in Victoria have entered into Pandemic Lockdown 2.0 as a result of which people are stocking up, making some popular ingredients like canned tomato difficult to obtain.
And a reader specifically asked in my “Pandemic Cooking Hotline” how to use tomato paste in place of canned tomato – so I’m sharing my recipe.
I hope you find it useful! – Nagi x
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Tomato paste replacement for canned tomato
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp tomato paste
- 1.5 tbsp flour
- 1 1/2 cups water , separated
- 1.5 tsp sugar
Instructions
- Whisk together 1/4 cup water (65ml) with the flour until lump free.
- Then mix in remaining water, tomato paste and sugar.
How to use it
- Use in recipes in place of canned tomato, add it at the time the recipe calls for canned tomato to be added. It will be watery while it's "raw", but the flour will thicken the mixture as it cooks in things like bolognese, soup (like Minestrone), curries (like this Coconut Lentil Curry) and pasta bakes.
- Pictures in post show the thickness after cooking on stove for 3 minutes on medium high - not necessary to do if added into a recipe then cooked.
- There is no limit for how long it can be cooked for - you can use it for a quick recipe like this Bacon Pasta, or simmered for hours like in Ragu.
- Fridge storing - will keep for 5 days in the fridge.
- Freezing - simmer 3 minutes on medium high, stirring regularly, until it thickens. Cool, freeze.
Life of Dozer
Throwback to puppy Dozer. He was a VERY cute puppy!
Hi Nagi,
Please, when a recipe calls for a cup of passata, can a cup of this be used?
Thanks
Hi Bridget – yes it will work – it’s probably closer to the passata texture anyway since passata is just blended tomatoes! N x
This was an excellent substitute for the crushed tomatoes in your Lentil Soup. Turned out wonderfully. Thank you
I don’t use sugar or flour
Made this today and it was just fabulous. Followed your instructions to the T and it came out well. Thank you!
Thank you for posting this substitute.The spaghetti sauce I use had an unusual amount of ends and pieces of unripe tomato. This created a rather unpleasant sour taste. I used your substitute but backed off on the suger
(for my family’s taste) and the end result was a much more tastier sauce. Thank you for saving my dinner!
WOO! That’s amazing to hear Kay!! N x
My replacement for passata is pureeing a whole small tomato with 1/2 tsp sugar and 1 T. tomato paste… no thickening required. Just strain to lose the seeds and use.
Score on your blog/website!!! Love the pics, recipes and comments. Dozer is a doll…I have made a few of your recipes. FANTASTIC!!! You certainly put LOVE into your work. Thank you from Nebraska!! (just found this site abt a month ago)
Hi Nagi
I’m a new subscriber to your channel and I cannot tell you how grateful I am to have found your page. canned tomatoes are very expensive back here and I’m happy to have this alternative.
Hi Nagi, can this be bottled please
About to try your recipe in my lasagna. I have a family member who can’t have seeds. Thanks
Thank you Nagi! We’re currently camping in remote NT. We have no Passata but are making your Butter Chicken. But good to go now using tomato paste 👍😊
Thanks Nagi – love what you are doing and what a cute pic of puppy Dozer! During our lockdown here in Auckland (and for a while afterwards) there was no tomato paste available in my local supermarket. What is the best substitute for tomato paste in recipes when not available? (Not suggesting that I would want to be using a tomato paste substitute in your above recipe :-)!!)
Hi Tessa, you can always make your one by reducing tomato puree until thick and the water has reduced! N x
Having Heinz Tomato Ketchup (1 litre size) on hand is an excellent addition to any recipe requiring tomato paste. Have even added it to mince/stew recipes and it works a treat.
You publish excellent and realistic recipes and ideas – it is a joy to receive your emails.
Hi Paula, you can use that if you like, however it has added sugar and salt too. N x
If you saute the tomato paste first until it is brownish, it gives great depth of flavor – from my Italian husband.
Ilove both of you and you are the best.Amitié de Montréal Québec.