There are some pesky things in life that you can count on. You'll always pick the slowest checkout line at the grocery store. An unseasonably cold day will sweep through right after you pack away your jumpers. And you'll never use up an entire can of pasta sauce or tomato paste for one recipe.
The first two definitely fall into the category of grin-and-bear-it. But those leftovers? That's a problem with plenty of solutions. Here are 9 easy, tasty ones to try.
Make pizza.
Spread a thin layer of sauce or paste on store-bought whole-wheat pizza dough, whole-wheat flatbreads or even English muffins. Top with shredded cheese and your favourite veggies, and bake until bubbly.
Fancy up canned beans.
For a fast, satisfying dinner when the fridge is almost empty, try this: Sauté canned Cannellini beans or chickpeas in olive oil with diced onion, chopped garlic and a splash of pasta sauce or a spoonful of tomato paste until the mixture is thick and fragrant. Spoon onto whole grain toast and top with chopped fresh herbs or a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
Stir it into scrambled eggs.
Whisk a spoonful of tomato paste or pasta sauce into beaten eggs before scrambling. Or, fill the bottom of a small baking dish with tomato sauce and crack eggs into the sauce, then bake until the eggs are just set.
Make cocktail sauce.
Stir some grated horseradish into tomato pasta sauce, and you've got a dead ringer for the classic shrimp cocktail dipper. Skip the tomato paste for this one—the flavour's too strong and the texture's too thick.
Add it to soup.
Whatever type is simmering on your stove, tomato's sweet, umami flavour will up the deliciousness even more. Add the sauce or paste at the same time as your broth so it has time to meld with the other ingredients.
Use it in a marinade.
There are two reasons why you should: The sweetness in the tomato allows you to add less of other sweeteners like honey or sugar. Plus, the tomato's acidity will make your meat more tender.
Whisk it into salad dressing.
Just like in a marinade, pasta sauce or paste adds extra sweetness and bright acidity to vinaigrettes. Try it with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic.
Make Mexican-style rice.
That tomato-flavoured rice they serve at your favourite Mexican restaurant is easy to recreate at home. Just add leftover sauce or paste to the cooking water at the same time that you add your rice. When the rice is finished cooking, it will have absorbed all the extra moisture and flavour from the sauce or paste.
Freeze it for later.
It'll taste just as good when you defrost it, even months later. Store pasta sauce or tomato paste in a zip-lock bag (make sure to flatten paste so there aren't any air bubbles in the bag). When you need a spoonful for another recipe, just slice off the amount that you need and put the rest back in the fridge.
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