Pasta Sauce From Tomato Paste: Quick Pantry Sauce in 15 Minutes

In this recipe

1. Why Tomato Paste Makes a Great Pasta Sauce
2. Ingredients for Tomato Paste Pasta Sauce
3. How to Make Pasta Sauce From Tomato Paste
4. Tomato Paste to Water Ratio Chart
5. Tomato Paste Sauce vs Jarred and Canned Tomato Sauce
6. Tips for Deeper Flavor and Less Acidity
7. Variations: Creamy, Spicy, Meat and Vegan
8. What Pasta to Serve It With
9. Storage, Freezing and Reheating
10. Tomato Paste Pasta Sauce FAQs
11. Printable Recipe Card

You can make pasta sauce from tomato paste in about 15 minutes with one 6-ounce can, 1 1/2 cups of water, garlic, olive oil and dried herbs. The trick is to fry the paste in oil until it turns brick red before you add any liquid. That short toast removes the raw, tinny edge and gives the sauce a slow-cooked depth.

This is the sauce for nights when the pantry is thin. There are no tomatoes to chop and no long simmer. A pinch of sugar balances the acidity, a splash of starchy pasta water makes it glossy, and a handful of Parmesan rounds it out.

Below you will find exact amounts, a paste-to-water ratio chart for every thickness, creamy, spicy, meat and vegan variations, and how to store and freeze leftovers.

Why Tomato Paste Makes a Great Pasta Sauce

Tomato paste is tomatoes that have been cooked for hours, strained of skins and seeds, and reduced until most of the water is gone. In other words, the long simmer has already happened. All you do is put the water back in a controlled amount.

That concentration gives you three advantages over a quick sauce made from canned whole tomatoes:

• Speed. The paste is already thick and sweet, so it needs only 5 to 8 minutes of simmering after the water goes in.
• Control. You choose the thickness. More water gives a loose sauce for thin strands, less gives a dense sauce that clings to rigatoni.
• Depth. Paste is rich in the savory glutamates that make tomatoes taste meaty. Browning it in oil adds caramelized, roasted notes on top.

A single 6-ounce (170 g) can holds about 2/3 cup of paste. Diluted with 1 1/2 cups of water, it yields roughly 2 1/4 cups of finished sauce, which is plenty for 12 ounces to 1 pound of dried pasta.

Ingredients for Tomato Paste Pasta Sauce

For the base, you need 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, 3 garlic cloves and one 6-ounce (170 g) can of tomato paste. Double-concentrated paste in a tube works too, but use about 2 tablespoons less because it is stronger.

For the liquid, use 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) water. If your pasta is boiling at the same time, swap some or all of it for starchy pasta water. The starch helps the sauce coat the noodles instead of sliding off.

For seasoning, add 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon dried basil, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and a pinch of sugar (about 1/4 teaspoon). Finish with 1/4 cup (20 g) finely grated Parmesan.

Half a small yellow onion, finely chopped, is optional. It adds sweetness and body, plus about 4 minutes of cooking time. On the busiest nights, leave it out and lean on the garlic.

How to Make Pasta Sauce From Tomato Paste

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil first. The sauce cooks in roughly the same time as most dried pasta, so both are ready together.

1. 01

   Soften the aromatics

   Warm the olive oil in a 10- or 12-inch skillet over medium heat. If using onion, cook it for 4 to 5 minutes until soft and golden at the edges. Add the garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes and stir for 30 to 60 seconds, just until fragrant. Garlic burns fast, so keep it moving.

2. 02

   Toast the tomato paste

   Scrape in the whole can of paste. Spread it across the pan and cook, stirring often, for 2 to 3 minutes. It will darken from bright red to a deep brick color, smell sweet and start to stick in spots. This is where the flavor comes from, so do not rush it.

   

3. 03

   Whisk in the water gradually

   Pour in about 1/2 cup of the water and stir hard, scraping up the browned bits, until smooth. Add the rest in two more additions. Adding it slowly prevents lumps, which form easily if you dump all the liquid in at once.

4. 04

   Season and simmer

   Stir in the salt, sugar and dried basil. Bring to a gentle bubble, then lower the heat and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring now and then. Thick tomato sauce spits, so a partly covered lid or a splatter screen helps.

   

5. 05

   Adjust and finish

   Taste and add more salt or chili if needed. Toss in the drained pasta with a splash of pasta water and cook together for 1 minute. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the Parmesan.

Finishing the pasta in the sauce for a minute matters more than any seasoning, because the noodles absorb flavor and release starch that makes the sauce cling. If the sauce tightens up too much, loosen it with pasta water 2 tablespoons at a time. If it seems thin, simmer for another 2 minutes, or see our guide on how to thicken spaghetti sauce.

Tomato Paste to Water Ratio Chart

The amount of water decides the texture. Use this chart for one 6-ounce (170 g) can of paste. Yields are approximate and shrink a little as the sauce simmers.

If you are adding ground meat or vegetables that release liquid, start one row thicker than you want. For half a can, simply halve the water.

Tomato Paste Sauce vs Jarred and Canned Tomato Sauce

Tomato paste sauce is not trying to replace a slow Sunday sauce. It fills a different gap. Here is how it compares with the two usual alternatives.

When you have an hour, our homemade spaghetti sauce with canned tomatoes gives a fuller, more layered result. For a fast weeknight, the paste version gets surprisingly close.

Tips for Deeper Flavor and Less Acidity

Tomato paste is concentrated, so its acidity is concentrated too. A few small moves keep the sauce balanced and round.

• Toast it properly. Raw paste tastes metallic. Two to three minutes in hot oil is the single biggest flavor upgrade.
• Use a pinch of sugar, not a spoonful. About 1/4 teaspoon softens sharpness without making the sauce sweet. Add more only after tasting.
• Finish with fat. A teaspoon of butter or a drizzle of good olive oil stirred in at the end smooths out sharp edges.
• Bloom the dried herbs. Adding oregano to the hot oil with the garlic wakes up its flavor. Add fresh basil only at the end.
• Add a savory boost. A minced anchovy fillet or a splash of soy sauce melted into the oil adds depth without tasting fishy or salty.
• Salt last. The Parmesan and pasta water both add salt, so taste before the final seasoning.

If the sauce still tastes sharp, a tiny pinch of baking soda (no more than 1/8 teaspoon) will neutralize some acid. It foams briefly. Use it sparingly, as too much leaves a flat, soapy taste.

Variations: Creamy, Spicy, Meat and Vegan

The base recipe is a blank canvas. Each of these changes the sauce with one or two extra ingredients.

Creamy Tomato Paste Sauce

Stir 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream into the finished sauce over low heat and warm through for 2 minutes without boiling. The sauce turns a soft blush pink, close to a simple vodka pasta without the vodka. For a tangier version, melt in 2 ounces (56 g) of cream cheese instead. For a fuller white-sauce approach, see our creamy pasta sauce base.

Spicy Arrabbiata-Style Sauce

Raise the red pepper flakes to 3/4 to 1 teaspoon, or stir 1 tablespoon Calabrian chili paste into the tomato paste as it toasts. Finish with chopped parsley. Pair it with penne, the classic shape for arrabbiata.

Meat Sauce

Brown 8 ounces (225 g) ground beef or Italian sausage in the skillet before the onion, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain off excess fat, then continue with the recipe. Add an extra 1/2 cup of water and simmer for 10 minutes so the meat absorbs some sauce. Cook ground beef to at least 160°F (71°C).

Vegan Tomato Paste Sauce

The base is already vegan apart from the cheese. Skip the Parmesan and stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast for a savory, cheesy note, or use a plant-based Parmesan. Most dried supermarket pasta contains no egg, but check the label. Sautéed mushrooms or a can of drained lentils make it heartier.

What Pasta to Serve It With

Because this sauce is smooth rather than chunky, it suits long strands and ridged shapes that trap a thin coating. Spaghetti, linguine, penne rigate, rigatoni and fusilli are all good matches. For angel hair, use the light ratio from the chart.

Plan on 12 ounces (340 g) of dried pasta for 4 moderate servings, or a full pound if you are feeding big appetites. Serve with extra Parmesan, a green salad and garlic bread. If you are cooking more than one pasta for a crowd, a bright pesto pasta makes a good partner. Browse more ideas in our pasta recipes.

Storage, Freezing and Reheating

Cool the sauce and refrigerate it within 2 hours in an airtight container. It keeps for 3 to 4 days in the fridge, in line with USDA guidance on leftovers and food safety. The creamy and meat versions follow the same rule.

To freeze, store the sauce without the pasta in freezer containers or flat zip-top bags, leaving a little headspace. It holds its best quality for about 3 to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. The plain and meat versions freeze well. Cream can separate slightly after thawing, so freeze the base and add cream when you reheat.

Reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of water, stirring until it bubbles gently and is hot all the way through. The sauce thickens in the fridge, so expect to loosen it.

Have half a can of paste left over from another recipe? Scoop it into 1-tablespoon mounds on a lined tray, freeze until firm, then bag them. They drop straight into sauces and soups from frozen.

Tomato Paste Pasta Sauce FAQs

The recipe

Quick Tomato Paste Pasta Sauce

A smooth, savory pantry sauce made from one can of tomato paste, garlic, olive oil and dried herbs. Enough for 4 servings of pasta.

Prep

5 min

Cook

10 to 15 min

Total

20 min

Serves

4

Print recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped (optional)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 1 can (6 ounces / 170 g) tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) water or starchy pasta water
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 pinch sugar (about 1/4 teaspoon)
• 1/4 cup (20 g) finely grated Parmesan, plus more to serve
• 12 ounces to 1 pound (340 to 454 g) dried pasta, to serve

Instructions

1. Start the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until 1 minute short of the package time. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
2. Soften the aromatics. Warm the olive oil in a 10- or 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion, if using, for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes and stir for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant.
3. Toast the tomato paste. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring often, for 2 to 3 minutes until it darkens to a deep brick red and smells sweet.
4. Add the water. Whisk in the water in three additions, scraping up the browned bits, until the sauce is smooth.
5. Simmer and season. Stir in the basil, salt and sugar. Simmer gently for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce coats a spoon.
6. Toss and finish. Add the drained pasta with a splash of pasta water and toss for 1 minute. Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, adjust the salt and loosen with more pasta water if needed.

Notes

For a thicker or thinner sauce, use the ratio chart above: 1 cup water per can for thick, 2 cups for light. Leftover sauce keeps for 3 to 4 days in the fridge or 3 to 4 months frozen. Estimated nutrition for the sauce only, without pasta, is about 120 calories, 4 g protein, 9 g carbohydrate and 8 g fat per serving, based on 4 servings. Values change with your brand of paste and cheese.