15 Recipes to Use Up an Open Can of Tomato Paste

You'll never let a drop of tomato paste go to waste again.

By
Robin Shreeves
Robin Shreeves
Robin Shreeves
Robin Shreeves is a food and beverage writer.
Learn about Simply Recipes' Editorial Process
Published September 09, 2023
Robin Shreeves
Three Bowls of Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup, and in One Bowl, Two Slices of Bread and a Spoon

Simply Recipes / Micah Siva

We've all been there. A recipe calls for one tablespoon of tomato paste, and you have to open an entire can to get that small amount. Sure, you can buy tomato paste in a tube that lasts a while after opening in your refrigerator, but ounce for ounce, it's so much more expensive.

You open the can, take out the tablespoon needed, and put the rest in a container that languishes in the back of the fridge and goes bad. Or, it goes into the freezer, where you'll have to chip away at it to get the next tablespoon out. (A better option is to freeze it in tablespoon portions in silicone trays or freezer bags.)

Eventually, you'll need to use that tomato paste up. These 15 recipes call for up to 3 tablespoons of tomato paste. You have a variety of dishes to choose from so all that concentrated tomato goodness doesn't go to waste.

  • Pasta Puttanesca

    Pasta Puttanesca
    Elise Bauer

    Puttanesca is made with lots of pantry staples—boxed spaghetti, crushed tomatoes, canned anchovies, jarred olives and capers, and a little tomato paste. Add some fresh garlic and onion, and you're eating a savory pasta dish in 40 minutes.

    Uses 2 tablespoons tomato paste

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  • Easy Burrito Casserole

    Baked burrito casserole with lettuce and tomatoes.

    Simply Recipes / Wanda Abraham

    This casserole is like a chicken burrito, without all the rolling of tortillas. Layer rice seasoned in spices, tomato paste, and chicken stock with shredded chicken, beans, salsa verde, and cheese to make a satisfying dinner.

    Uses 1 tablespoon tomato paste

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  • Lentil Soup

    lentil soup in a bowl with a spoon
    Sally Vargas

    To make this deeply flavored nutritious soup, you'll need to toast tomato paste, but it's easy to do. Add it to the hot pot that you've already cooked onions in and stir for a couple of minutes until it darkens to a ruddy brown. Then add seasoning, veggies, lentils, and vegetable stock and wait for the heat to do its magic.

    Uses 2 tablespoons of tomato paste

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  • Guyanese Chicken Curry

    Guyanese Chicken Curry in a Bowl with Rice

    Simply Recipes / Alica Ramkirpal-Senhouse

    A contribution to Guyanese cuisine by the Indian population of Guyana, this warmly seasoned and fiery-hot chicken curry is served over rice or roti. There's a small bit of tomato paste to round out the curry's flavor.

    Uses 1 tablespoon tomato paste

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    Continue to 5 of 15 below.

  • Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup

    Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup in a Large Pot with Some Raised Up Using a Wooden Spoon, and Surrounding the Pot, a Kitchen Linen and a Stack of Bowls with Utensils

    Simply Recipes / Micah Siva

    This vegetarian soup is comfort in a bowl. Green cabbage, carrots, onions, garlic, and crushed tomatoes are cooked in a vegetable broth that has a little tomato paste added, too. Vinegar and brown sugar create the sweet and sour. It makes a big pot and leftovers freeze well.

    Uses 2 tablespoons tomato paste

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  • Italian Meatballs

    Baked Meatballs in Tomato Sauce served in a bowl
    Elise Bauer

    With these meatballs and a box of spaghetti, you have everyone's favorite comfort food dinner. The meatballs are delicious: huge and pillowy-soft with a sauce using a can of crushed tomatoes and a little tomato paste. Make sure you have garlic bread on hand to complete the feast.

    Uses 1 tablespoon of tomato paste

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  • Instant Pot Eggplant Chickpea Stew

    Bowl of Eggplant Chickpea Stew from The Instant Kitchen Cookbook by Coco Morante

    Dana Gallagher / The Instant Kitchen Cookbook by Coco Morante

    Canned chickpeas bring protein to this vegetarian stew with silky eggplant and chickpeas in a rich herbed tomato broth. Serve over rice and top with plenty of tangy feta cheese.

    Uses 2 tablespoons tomato paste

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  • Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

    Meatless tortilla soup in a bowl topped with shredded cheese, sour cream, and tortilla strips.

    Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel

    Make this Tex-Mex tortilla soup with a vegetable stock tinged with tomato paste. The soup is packed with veggies, beans, canned diced tomatoes, corn, and plenty of spices. Garnish with your favorite toppings like avocado and sour cream.

    Uses 1 tablespoon of tomato paste

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    Continue to 9 of 15 below.

  • Curried Chicken Salad with Mango

    mango chicken salad on top of salad greens on a white platter
    Sheryl Julian

    There's a little tomato paste in the curry dressing of this chicken salad with mango, grapes, apple, and almonds mixed with chicken breasts. Serve it on top of salad greens or naan.

    Uses 1 tablespoon of tomato paste

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  • Smoky Lentil Stew

    Vegan Stew Recipe
    Erin Alderson

    Smoked salt and smoked paprika bring the smokiness to this vegan stew. Use brown lentils to keep the texture of the stew—that's filled with veggies and potatoes—firm. The tomato paste is added at the end so its acid doesn't soften the lentils.

    Uses 3 tablespoons of tomato paste

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  • Pasta with Cauliflower, Tomato, and Parmesan

    pasta with cauliflower and anchovies in a bowl
    Elise Bauer

    This simple pasta with cauliflower, anchovies, and onion is paired with a sauce made of a can of whole tomatoes and some tomato paste. It's mixed with Parmesan cheese and toasted bread crumbs. It's a delicious pasta dish that makes great leftovers.

    Uses 3 tablespoons of tomato paste

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  • Patatas Bravas

    Roasted Potatoes with Spicy tomato sauce (patatas bravas)
    Elise Bauer

    These roasted potatoes tossed with a spicy, smoky tomato sauce are a Spanish tapas, or appetizer. Tabasco, or another hot sauce, brings some heat (but they're not super hot) and smoked paprika brings a bit of smoke.

    Uses 2 tablespoons of tomato paste

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    Continue to 13 of 15 below.

  • Homemade Tomato Sauce

    Homemade Tomato Sauce

    Simply Recipes / Michelle Becker

    Simple tomato sauce for pizza, pasta, chicken, and fish starts with carrots, onion, and celery sautéed in olive oil. Then add garlic, basil and canned whole tomatoes, plus a little tomato paste. Let it all simmer. You may never use jarred again.

    Uses 1 tablespoon of tomato paste

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  • Crab Bisque

    Crab Bisque
    Elise Bauer

    This creamy crab bisque uses stock made from crab shells, or store bought stock. Add wine, white rice, a little of the crab, and tomato paste to the stock and purée. Then more crab, creme, and seasoning. It's divine.

    Uses 2 tablespoons of tomato paste

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  • The Best Homemade Lasagna

    Side view of a piece of lasagna on a plate.
    Cambrea Bakes

    Considered by many to be the ultimate comfort food—and maybe the best use of leftover tomato paste—lasagna is layers of meat sauce, cheese, and noodles, cooked until bubbly hot. This recipe makes 8 servings, and if you can't eat it all at once, it freezes well.

    Uses 3 tablespoons of tomato paste

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