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Tomato paste is tomatoes cooked down to about a quarter of their volume · concentrated umami and body in a spoonful. Every substitute is really just a less-reduced tomato, so the fix is always the same: add more, then cook the water back out.
Best for: Sauces, braises, chili
Or add it straight and simmer the dish uncovered a few minutes longer.
Best for: Stews, chili, sloppy joes
Brings sugar and vinegar too · fine in big rustic flavors, out of place in delicate sauces.
Best for: Pasta sauces, spreads · the deepest flavor option
Blend with a spoonful of their oil into a paste.
Tomato paste is usually caramelized in the fat before liquid goes in · that browning step builds the deep base flavor. Whatever you substitute, give it the same treatment: cook it in the oil until it darkens a shade and smells sweet. Skip that and the dish tastes thin no matter how much you add.
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In stews, chili, and meatloaf glaze, yes · 1:1, and consider trimming a pinch of sugar elsewhere since ketchup is sweetened. In refined pan sauces or risotto it reads as ketchup; use reduced tomato puree there instead.
Add ¼ cup of tomato sauce per tablespoon of paste the recipe wanted, and simmer uncovered 10 extra minutes to cook the water off. Caramelize it against the bottom of the pot first with the spices · that's where the depth comes from.
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