How to Make Tomato Paste from Scratch

This recipe for homemade Tomato Paste from Scratch is a simple and delicious way to make the most of fresh Roma tomatoes.

Made with just two ingredients, this homemade paste is rich and smooth with a deep tomato flavor and a perfectly thick texture, making it perfect for anything from pasta to pizza.

Why this recipe works

This is a simple recipe made with just two ingredients- fresh Roma tomatoes and olive oil- to make a rich, flavorful homemade sauce.

Here is what else you will like about this recipe.

• This is a small batch recipe that results in the amount of tomato paste that you actually need without the excess waste.
• Making this tomato paste yourself means that you know every that ingredient goes into making it
• Personalizing this tomato paste is as easy as adding your favorite Italian Seasonings or doubling the recipe to make homemade tomato paste for a friend.
• The homemade paste is a thick, smooth sauce with deep tomato flavor that tastes fresh, vibrant, and perfect for everything from pasta night to freezer meal prep

Have you tried my recipe for 10 Minute Homemade Pizza Sauce?

Made with San Marzano tomatoes, that Neapolitan style sauce is naturally sweet and slightly chunky. Both this recipe for homemade tomato paste and that recipe for pizza sauce are easy homemade recipes that you can make with tomatoes.

Store your homemade tomato paste in a food jar for easy use. You can find a selection of food jars here.

How to make tomato paste.

• Prep Time 20 Minutes .
• Cook Time 1 Hour 50 Minutes .
• Servings 15 one tablespoon servings or 7 to 8 standard serving size of 2 tablespoons .
• How to serve : This tomato paste can be used in recipes that use store-bought tomato paste such as baked pasta dishes or pizza.
• Notes: You will need a good blender or food processor, a fine mesh sieve, large bowl, and a large saucepan to make the recipe and jars for storing.

1. Prepare. If you have not done so, wash the tomatoes and remove the stems along with the bad spots. Then carefully cut the tomatoes into quarters.
2. Blend. Use a good blender or food processor to blend the tomatoes for 15 seconds or until there are no large chunks remaining. The time needed to make the blended tomatoes smooth can vary depending on your blender/processor and the tomatoes.
3. Drain. To drain the excess water from the paste, place your fine mesh sieve over a bowl that can support holding the sieve. Slowly transfer or pour the paste into the sieve, using a spoon to spread it around so that the water can drain from the paste. You may need to do this step in batches.
4. Simmer. Once you have removed the bulk of the water from the paste you can transfer the paste to your saucepan. Set the heat to low-medium and simmer until the paste has thickened, is deep red in color, and resembles the store-bought version. I like to stir my sauce occasionally as well. This step usually takes between and hour and a half to two hours depending on your stove, saucepan, pan and tomatoes.
5. Store. Once your tomato paste has thickened you can remove it from the heat and allow it to cool to about room temperature before adding the olive oil and transferring it to an airtight container for storage.

Tips for making the best tomato paste from scratch.

When selecting an olive oil to use in this recipe, keep in mind that the olive oil adds to the texture and to the flavor of this paste. For this reason, extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is a good option for a richer, slightly more robust flavor. Regular olive oil works great too if you want the tomato flavor to be more neutral and less peppery.

More helpful tips for you.

1. Sometimes the tomatoes can have a lot of seeds that you may not want in your tomato paste. The good news is that you can use a spoon to scrape out the tomatoes after slicing them. Also, tomato juice left after straining can be diluted and used in your garden for a calcium and potassium rich fertilizer (I like to use the water to feed my plants 🙂 ).
2. Draining the tomatoes in the sieve is an important step in this recipe that should not be skipped. The fine-mesh sieve helps remove excess water and also significantly cuts down on simmering time.If you do not have a sieve you can try using use a colander liked with cheesecloth, a thick clean kitchen towel, or a coffee filter.
3. You homemade tomato paste should simmer gently, not boil rapidly. Low heat allows the tomatoes to reduce slowly and develop a deep, concentrated flavor. If your paste is bubbling too much or boiling rapidly you can bump the heat down to low, as stoves have heat differently.
4. Lastly, you should stir the paste more often as it thickens as the thicker the tomato paste gets, the more likely it is to stick or burn on the bottom of the pan. Frequent stirring near the end, after about an hour of simmering, is especially important.

FAQ

• Why are Roma tomatoes used in this tomato paste recipe?
  Roma tomatoes are the ideal choice for this recipe because are naturally meatier and contain less water and fewer seeds than many other tomato varieties. Because Roma tomatoes have a firmer texture and lower moisture content, they cook down into a thicker, richer sauce without needing as much simmering time.
• Do I need to peel the tomatoes first?
  Nope. You do not need to peel the tomatoes for this recipe since the tomatoes are blended and then strained. Most of the skin is removed during the straining process.
• Can I skip straining the tomatoes?
  Kinda... but it is not recommended if you want a thick, concentrated tomato paste. Straining removes a lot of the excess water, which helps the tomatoes reduce faster and creates a richer texture. If you skip this step, the tomato mixture will take much longer to cook down and can resemble a sauce rather than a paste.
• How do I know when tomato paste is done simmering?
  The tomato paste is done simmering when it becomes very thick, rich, and spreadable. It should be much darker in color than when it started, and when you drag a spoon through the pan, it should leave a trail for a moment before slowly filling back in.
• How can I use homemade tomato paste?
  I love that homemade tomato paste can be used in so many recipes such as soups, stews, sauces, chili, casseroles, pasta dishes, and pizza sauce. Also, making your own tomato paste means that you do not need to open up a whole can of paste to use just a tablespoon of it in a recipe.

Variations.

• For a richer flavor, try simmering the tomatoes with a little garlic or onion, then strain or blend again if you want a smoother finish.
• To make this paste more 'Italian' flavored, add a small amount of dried basil, oregano, or Italian seasoning while it simmers.
• For a deeper, slightly sweeter flavor, stir in a pinch of sugar to balance out the acid from the tomatoes and help bring out the flavor.

How to store tomato paste.

Once your tomato paste has cooled, it can be stored in an airtight container (I recommend glass). When properly stored, tomato paste should keep for up to seven days refrigerated or frozen (use an ice cube tray!) for up to a few months.

Use homemade tomato paste in one of these recipes.

• One Pot Chili Mac and Cheese
• Dutch Oven Chicken Cacciatore
• Easy Homemade Ketchup
• Crockpot Bourbon Chicken (Slow Cooker) Recipe
• Crockpot No Bean Chili Recipe
• 15 Best Frozen Foods to Cook in an Air Fryer (With Cook Times)