Substitutions / tomato sauce
What to use instead of tomato sauce
Use crushed tomatoes in equal amounts. Chunkier texture and slightly less seasoned, so you may need to simmer it down and add a pinch of salt and herbs.
Every option, best first
| Use instead | How much | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Crushed tomatoes | 1:1 | Chunkier texture and slightly less seasoned, so you may need to simmer it down and add a pinch of salt and herbs. |
| Tomato paste thinned | 1 tbsp paste + 2 tbsp water / ¼ cup | More concentrated flavor; use sparingly and adjust seasoning, as it can taste stronger and less balanced. |
| Diced tomatoes blended | 1:1 | Blend and simmer to reduce; texture and sweetness will be close, but the flavor is fresher and less cooked-down. |
How much is a cup of tomato sauce?
Substituting by volume and weighing are different problems, and the second one has an exact answer. Weigh tomato sauce 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.