Tomato sauce, tomato paste, pasta sauce or pizza sauce are handy to have on hand for use in endless recipes. But often the amount called for in a recipe and the amount in the jar do not match. When this happens, consider these five ways to make good use of extras.
1. Make Soup
Most prepared tomato products can be used in broth based soups and stews whether the recipe calls for it or not. It’s also easy to substitute one tomato product for another. For example when a recipe like Harvest Stew calls for stewed tomatoes and all you have is a bit of tomato paste and last night’s salsa – go ahead and use what you have instead and adjust seasoning as needed.
2. Freeze It
Freeze leftover prepared tomato products in convenient sizes for easy use and defrosting. For example, tomato paste is great frozen in ice cube trays for recipes calling for one or two tablespoons. Pizza sauce works well in half cup amounts – the perfect amount for one pizza. Read How to Store & Use Sauces.
3. Make It Lasagna Night
This Versatile Lasagna calls for a tin of tomatoes, but you can easily sub in leftover tomato, pasta or pizza sauce. If needed, heat the sauce to thicken and adjust flavour.
4. Explore Shakshuka
Use leftover tomato sauce to make shakshuka, similar to this Indian Chickpea Hash. Instead of fresh tomatoes, use tomato sauce and whatever veggies, herbs and spices you have on hand. A delicious nest for your fried eggs.
5. Try A Tomato Vinaigrette
Homemade salad dressings using tomatoes offer endless flavour opportunities. Try this tomato vinaigrette on tossed salads or roasted vegetables. In a tight sealing jar, mix together 2 Tbsp tomato or pasta sauce, 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar, ½ cup olive oil, 1 tsp Italian seasoning. Keep for 3-5 days in fridge.
Did You Know?
Prepared tomato products vary widely in acidity, but don’t let that stop you from enjoying them. Simply add a little sugar, baking soda or fat (butter or cheese) to mellow out acidity or if you prefer add a little lemon juice to increase the acidity.