Tomato sauce

Tomato sauce

Fresh tomato sauce
Type	Sauce
Place of origin	Mexico[1]
Region or state	Aztec Empire
Main ingredients	Tomatoes
Variations	Salsa picante
Cookbook: Tomato sauce   Media: Tomato sauce

Tomato sauce (Spanish: salsa roja; Italian: salsa di pomodoro; French: sauce tomate) can refer to many different sauces made primarily from tomatoes. In some countries the term refers to a sauce to be served as part of a dish, in others it is a condiment. Tomatoes have a rich flavor, high water content, soft flesh which breaks down easily, and the right composition to thicken into a sauce when stewed, without the need for thickeners such as roux or masa. All of these qualities make them ideal for simple and appealing sauces. Tomato sauce typically has a thinner consistency than tomato paste and tomato purée,^[2], however tomato sauces may use either as an ingredient.

In dishes tomato sauces are common for meat and vegetables such as in stews, but they are perhaps best known as bases for Italian pasta or pizza dishes, or in Mexican salsas.

In countries such as the United Kingdom, India, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, the term tomato sauce is used to describe a condiment similar to what Americans call ketchup. In some of these countries, both terms are used for the condiment.