This Pasta Sauce from Tomato Paste is a student-friendly, easy to prepare and low-cost recipe. Besides the taste is outstanding every time.
Difference between tomato paste vs tomato puree
To start with, both can be store-bought and can be home-made. They can often substitute each other when necessary. The basic difference is in the consistency and thickness.
For 1 kilogram of tomato paste, a good quality tomato paste uses up to 10 kilograms of tomato. While making homemade tomato paste the only ingredients used are tomatoes, salt and olive oil. The process involves drying and cooking tomatoes for several days. The peel and seeds of tomatoes are not used.
Making tomato sauce at home is much quicker grated tomatoes are boiled only once then stored in glass jars. Generally, only salt is added. As cooked shortly and not dried much less tomato is used for a tomato sauce.
How to keep tomato paste?
Once opened, keep the remaining tomato paste in the fridge. Unless your tomato paste comes in a tube, even when kept in the fridge the tomato paste tends to get moldy. To prevent this, remove it from the can or plastic container and keep it in a glass jar with a tight lid. If you are not planning to use it up within a couple of days drizzling the too of the tomato paste with some olive oil and a pinch of salt will protect it from getting moldy.
Tomato paste freezes well, so if you buy a large amount of tomato paste, you can divide it into small batches and freeze to avoid the mould and having to throw it away.
Pasta sauce from tomato paste ingredients
A pasta sauce cannot get easier. This is why most students use this recipe for their pasta in dorm kitchens.
Basic ingredients are:
- Tomato paste
- Olive oil a tablespoon or two will be enough. You can substitute it with butter or other available vegetable oil.
- Salt, black pepper, garlic.
- “nice to have” ingredients are:
- thyme
- basil
- red pepper flakes
- cheese and chopped parsley for garnish
How to choose the spagetti?
Spagetti is the long, thin, cylindrical shape pasta. You might have noticed the numbers on packages, ranging from 1 to 13. The higher the number the thicker the pasta. We prefer the No.13 as it absorbs the sauces better. The lower the number often the cheaper. Always taste occasionally as thinner pasta will be ready very quickly and might become mushy if over cooked. You can read more about how to cook pasta here in Meatball Pasta with Tomato Sauce recipe.
So whether you are a student or not and you are after fixing a quick meal, I hope you will try this recipe. Let me know in comments or social media if you liked this easy pasta sauce from tomato paste.
Pasta Sauce from Tomato Paste
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- ½ teaspoon thyme optional
- ½ teaspoon basil optional
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 100 millilitres warm water or pasta water
Instructions
- Add the olive oil into a skillet, warm slightly over medium heat.
- Add the tomato paste, mix until fragrant.
- Then add the crushed/minced or grated garlic cloves with salt and pepper.
- Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the other available spices and mix.
- Add about 100 millilitres (about ½ cup) of warm water or pasta water.
- Cook until all blended for about 9-10 minutes in total.
- When ready pour over already cooked spaghetti, mix to combine and serve.
Notes
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