What’s the best tomato paste? Does it even matter? After tasting nearly 20 different tomato pastes (both canned tomato paste and tubed tomato paste—and did you know there was flavored tomato paste? I tried that too), I can tell you that, yes, it does matter.
Some tomato pastes are much better than others. And using the best tomato paste will help you make better tomato sauce, stews, etc. Plus, if you invest in the best tomato paste (it’s really not that expensive, you can treat yourself) you can even use it as a spread on crostini to serve with fancy tinned fish and call it tomato pâté. (I worked with a chef once who did this and people couldn’t get enough of it.)
Here’s what we were looking for in the best tomato paste: smooth texture, rich tomato flavor, and an all around umami character. And, yes, we also took ease of use into account. I am a vocal proponent of using tomato paste in a tube. Unless you’re making sauce or a big batch of something that will use a whole can of tomato paste, it just makes sense. I’ve lost too many open cans of tomato paste to the back of my fridge.
Here’s the best tomato paste you can buy.
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- Bionaturae Tomato Paste No Salt Added
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If you’re looking for pure tomato flavor with no extra salt (the nutritional facts on this tomato paste list it as having zero grams of sodium), Bionaturae makes the best tomato paste. It tastes like concentrated roasted tomato. It’s sweet and rich and deeply flavorful. And the texture is delightful. It’s creamy but not too thick; it’s easy to scoop. Plus, this tomato paste comes in a jar (it’s very fancy). While that’s not quite as good as a tube in my opinion, it’s better than a can because you can easily close it up and use it again and again.
Credit: Merc / Sprouts
- Contadina Roma Tomatoes Paste Basil, Garlic & Oregano
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I am new to the world of flavored tomato pastes. Most of them have some combo of basil, garlic, and oregano in them. Why? I guess to cut out extra seasoning work when you’re making pasta sauce. And, of all the flavored tomato pastes we tried, this was the best tomato paste with added seasonings. It tastes like pizza paste. You could mix it with some canned tomatoes to make your own pizza sauce, or you could just slather it onto some parbaked crusts as is. Or you could just spread it on toast with a sprinkling of parmesan for instant pizza. It’s super savory and very garlicky. It’ll add a ton of flavor however you choose to put it to work.
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Muir Glen Organic Tomato Paste
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Want the best organic tomato paste? Look no further than the extremely wholesome Muir Glen. This tomato paste in a can is very thick. And it tastes like sun dried tomato paste (more than the actual sun dried tomato paste on this list). It walks that line of sweet and savory like a real pro. Plus, it’s certified organic, non-GMO, and packaged in cans with BPA-free liners. It’s also made with no added salt! (Though it still has 25 mg of sodium per serving.)
Credit: Merc / Ralphs
- Amore Sun Dried Tomato Paste
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If you’re looking for the best tomato paste in the classic sense of tomato paste, this ain’t it. But if you’re looking for your new favorite tomato-based condiment, then pull up a chair to this sun dried tomato paste. Sold in a tube (hooray!), it’s oily, savory, kinda chunky, and a little bit spicy. I brought it home and have been using it on eggs, squirting it onto sandwiches, and even tossing pasta with it as a sauce. If you’re at all curious, you need to try this sun dried tomato paste.
Credit: Merc / Amazon
- Contadina Roma Tomatoes Paste
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Okay, canned tomato paste people. This is the best tomato paste can for you. It’s rich and thick and smooth and tangy and tart and sweet. It makes your mouth water. And it will elevate whatever sauce, chili, stew, casserole, etc. you make with it. This canned tomato paste is sold pretty much everywhere, so you should have no problem finding it and feeling good about buying it.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
- Cento Tomato Paste
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While the Cento tomato paste can is good, the Cento tomato paste tube is far superior—not just because of how easy it is to use, but it also tastes better. It’s dark and rich and very tomatoey without being too sweet. The texture is light and creamy and smooth. Every fridge should have a dedicated place on the shelf for this tomato paste in a tube. You can squirt out the occasional tablespoon or use it all up. Either way, you’re using the best tomato paste around.
Credit: Merc / Walmart
Best No Salt Added
Best Flavored
Best Organic
Best Sun Dried
Best Big Can
Best of the Best
Other tomato paste brands we tried: Hunt’s Tomato Paste Basil, Garlic & Oregano, Contadina Roma Tomatoes Paste Pesto, Kroger Basil & Oregano Italian Style Tomato Paste, Amore Tomato Paste, Napoleon Tomato Paste, SImple Truth Tomato Paste, Del Monte Grown Good Tomato Paste, Kroger Tomato Paste, Take Root Organics Tomato Paste, Great Value Tomato Paste, Organic Great Value Tomato Paste, Hunt’s No Salt Added Tomato Paste
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!