Easy, Fast Tomato Marinara

More About This Recipe

• Using Tomato Paste
  
  Growing up, I could always find petite cans of tomato paste in my grandmother's cupboard. She would use it in sauces and stews. These days, you can always find a couple cans of paste in my cupboard as well. This versatile ingredient is a great go-to for fast meals.
  
  What is Tomato Paste?
  
  Tomato paste is a highly concentrated puree of tomatoes. It's made by cooking peeled, seeded tomatoes for several hours, thereby cooking out much of the liquid. It offers a high concentrate of tomato flavor in a thick, compact form.
  
  It can be purchased premade in cans or tubes, or made at home and frozen for future use. A good recipe can be found in Preserving Summer's Bounty.
  
  What Can Tomato Paste Be Used For?
  
  Tomato paste is a great ingredient for adding tomato flavor to a variety of dishes, from sauces to soups. It's a very thick (hence the paste in the name) and thus should be combined with water (or broth) to cook with. This loosens it into a sauce.
  
  One fabulous use for tomato paste is to use it to make a fast marinara sauce, such as my Easy, Fast Tomato Marinara. This sauce is perfect with pasta, ravioli and more. Use it on chicken parmigiana or for dipping mozzarella sticks, as well. It makes a smooth sauce, which is perferrable for some people. You can also add some chunkiness to it by combining a can of diced tomatoes (do not drain!) and a can of tomato paste in a pan with seasonings. Bring to a boil, simmer and serve.
  
  More Tomato Paste Recipes
  
  Looking for more great ideas for tomato paste? Try these:
  
  Fresh Tomato Soup
  Meat Lovers Chipotle Chili
  Tomato Pistou Sauce
  
  Sarah W. Caron (aka scaron is a food writer, editor and blogger who writes about family-friendly foods and raising a healthy family at Sarah's Cucina Bella.