Natural form
Whole plum tomatoes before cooking — the primary raw ingredient of tomato sauce.
Shows readers exactly which tomato variety is used and what it looks like before any processing.
Sauces & Pastes
Tomato Sauce
Simmered tomato base for pasta, pizza, and braises
A simmered base of tomatoes, garlic, and herbs, ready to coat pasta, sauce a pizza, or start a braise. Once opened, keep it cold and use within a week.
Tomato sauce is the cooked, smooth foundation of countless dishes — pure simmered tomatoes, often seasoned with onion, garlic, herbs, and a little oil. (In American grocery terms 'tomato sauce' is the plain canned purée; in Italian and home cooking it usually means a finished pasta sauce.) Either way it's the savory, slightly sweet, acidic backbone for pasta, pizza, braises, stews, and shakshuka.
- Measured in
- ml
- Storage
- Refrigerate
- Shelf life
- 7 days
Find it in
Types & varieties
Smooth, unseasoned base to build on.
Quick sauce with garlic, herbs, and olive oil.
Chunkier, rustic texture for slow sauces.
Concentrated; for body and deep color.
How to use
Build flavor by sautéing aromatics first, then simmering the sauce to concentrate and round out its acidity. A pinch of sugar or a knob of butter softens sharp tomatoes.
- Pasta and pizza sauces
- Braising base for meatballs and chicken
- Shakshuka and egg dishes
- Soups and stews
How to store
Refrigerate opened sauce in a sealed container for 4–5 days, or freeze in portions for months. Decant from the can — don't store opened sauce in metal.
Common uses
Tips & pitfalls
- A pinch of sugar or a pat of butter tames overly acidic tomatoes.
- Simmer longer for a deeper, sweeter, less raw flavor.
- Stir in tomato paste for body and a richer red color.
- Freeze leftover sauce in portions for fast weeknight meals.
Nutrition
Energy
100 kJ · per 100 g
Where the calories come from
Protein
1.2g
2% DV
Carbs
5.3g
2% DV
Fat
0.3g
0% DV
Fiber
1.5g
5% DV
Sugars
3.6g
of which
Sodium
474mg
21% DV
Source · USDA FoodData Central · Tomato products, canned, sauce
View on FDC →In the shops
Matched grocery products
€2.55Pizza Tomato Sauce
MUTTI · kg · Bonpreu
€1.90Bolognese Tomato Sauce
Hacendado · 400 g · Mercadona
€1.49Solís Fried Tomato Sauce
SOLIS · kg · Bonpreu
€2.25Ferrer Pizza Tomato Sauce
FERRER · kg · Bonpreu
€2.99Doritos Mild Tomato Sauce
DORITOS · kg · Bonpreu
€1.40Artisan Fried Tomato Sauce
Hacendado · 300 g · Mercadona
Good to know
- Flavor
- Savory, sweet-tart, tomato-forward
- Made from
- Cooked tomatoes, often with aromatics and herbs
- Best for
- Pasta, pizza, braises, stews, shakshuka
- Pantry kin
- Passata, crushed tomatoes, tomato purée
- How to store
- Pantry sealed; fridge 4–5 days once opened
- Shelf life
- Years canned; freezes well
Substitutes
- Crushed tomatoes — Add aromatics and simmer to a sauce.
- Tomato paste + water — Reconstitute for a quick base.
- Fresh tomatoes, cooked down — Peel, simmer, and season.
Also called
salsa de tomate
Appears in these dishes
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