Substitutions / tomato paste
What to use instead of tomato paste
Use tomato sauce at 3:1. Much thinner, so reduce it down or use less liquid elsewhere in your recipe.
Every option, best first
| Use instead | How much | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Tomato sauce | 3:1 | Much thinner, so reduce it down or use less liquid elsewhere in your recipe. |
| Canned crushed tomatoes | 4:1 | Even more water content — simmer down to concentrate, and expect a slightly chunkier texture. |
| Sun-dried tomato paste | 1:1 | More intense, slightly sweeter flavor; works well but can taste a touch different in mild dishes. |
How much is a cup of tomato paste?
Substituting by volume and weighing are different problems, and the second one has an exact answer. Weigh tomato paste in grams →
A word on how to read these
A substitution is a trade, not an equivalence. The ratio gets the quantity right; the third column is the part worth reading, because it tells you what you are giving up. In a stew, most of these are invisible. In a cake — where flour, liquid, fat and leavening are in a fixed relationship — the same swap can change the crumb.
Why baking notices and stew doesn't →
Where these came from
These substitutions were written by Gather's own kitchen model — the same one the app uses when you tap an ingredient and ask what else would work — then checked and saved as a fixed list in July 2026. Nothing on this page is generated while you read it. They are a good starting point and not a substitute for tasting as you go.