tomato sauce

Tomato sauce (Spanish: salsa de tomate; 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; 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.