9 Easy Canned Tomato Recipes

Canned tomatoes are a versatile pantry staple that are ripe with potential. One can plus a handful of other ingredients might be all that’s standing between you and a flavorful dinner. Though canned tomatoes aren’t a substitute for fresh, they’re a shortcut to tomato-based sauces and braises, curries and stews, and soups and salsas. Affordable and accessible, canned tomatoes add depth, sweetness, and a tinge of acidity to vegetables, eggs, beans, cheese, meat, chicken, fish, shellfish, and all kinds of starches.

To learn more about what kinds of canned tomatoes are on the market, and which ones are worth keeping on hand, readour canned tomato guide. And, for those into doing it yourself, we’ve also got aguide to canning tomatoes at home.

Read on for nine great pantry-friendly recipes for canned tomatoes, fromhuevos rancherosto a 15-minute creamy tomato soup.

Pasta With Vodka Sauce

Vicky Wasik

Yes, there's actually vodka in this sauce, and it's better for it (though delicious, if different, without). Most of the other ingredients required are likely already in your pantry—garlic, onion, canned tomatoes, and tomato paste. Throw in some butter and heavy cream, and you have a rich, satisfying classic ready to eat in just 40 minutes.

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Huevos Rancheros

J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

There's only 25 minutes standing between you and this satisfying plate ofhuevos rancheros. Canned fire-roasted crushed tomatoes mellow the smokiness of chipotles in adobo, while a dash of soy sauce adds savory complexity to the salsa.

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Shakshuka (North African–Style Poached Eggs in Spicy Tomato Sauce)

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t如何o Make Shakshuka (North African–Style Poached Eggs With Spicy Tomato Sauce)

This saucy, one-pan breakfast recipe combines charred peppers and onions with a can of tomatoes for maximum flavor in minimal time. Serve withwarm breadorpitato mop up the flavorful sauce.

Get the recipe for Shakshuka (North African–Style Poached Eggs in Spicy Tomato Sauce)
Channa Masala

J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Make this wildly popular chickpea dish extra delicious by deeply caramelizing the onions, doctoring store-bought garam masala, and adding garlic and lemon juice for brightness.

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Continue to 5 of 9 below.
Oven-Roasted Tomato Bruschetta

Vicky Wasik

Slow-roasting canned whole tomatoes enhances their flavor and produces a pleasantly chewy, jammy texture. Try this warm version of tomato bruschetta during tomato’s off-seasons.

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15-Minute Creamy Tomato Soup (Vegan)

J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

This rich, grilled cheese–worthy tomato soup can be made entirely from basic pantry ingredients. It's thickened with bread, which also gives it its creamy texture—no dairy necessary.

Get the recipe for 15-Minute Creamy Tomato Soup (Vegan)
Tuscan Pappa al Pomodoro (Tomato and Bread Soup)

Vicky Wasik

This simple, hearty Italian soup leans on little more than onion, garlic, bread, vegetable stock, and canned tomatoes. We opt for whole, peeled canned tomatoes, which we hand crush for a more dynamic texture. It's the perfect vehicle for leftover or stale bread (though it works beautifully with fresh bread, too).

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Quick and Easy Italian-American Red Sauce in 40 Minutes or Less

Vicky Wasik

For our go-to Italian-American red sauce, we combine canned whole tomatoes with several tablespoons of tomato paste, which makes it taste like it's been cooking for hours.

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Continue to 9 of 9 below.
Chicken in Tomato Sauce With Chickpeas and Kale

Yasmin Fahr

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, kale, and chickpeas would be a boring braise without the addition of canned tomatoes. Their acidity mellows the kale, enriches the chicken, and helps plump the chickpeas for a hearty dinner that’s ready in under an hour.

Get the recipe for Chicken in Tomato Sauce With Chickpeas and Kale

t如何o Make Shakshuka (North African–Style Poached Eggs With Spicy Tomato Sauce)