Tomato paste, a beloved product derived from cooking down pureed tomatoes into a flavorful, thick sauce, enhances the richness of tomato-based dishes from sauces to main courses.

Tomato paste is typically crafted from paste tomatoes, such as Roma, plum, or sauce tomatoes. Sporting dense flesh with few seeds and pointed bottoms, these tomatoes are briefly sautéed in oil to infuse recipes with a desirable caramelized richness.

Honing your kitchen skills by creating homemade tomato paste is straightforward. The process involves cooking down sliced tomatoes, using a food mill to purify the mixture, and slowly roasting the resulting puree. Food connoisseur Kim McDonnel reveals that, due to prolonged caramelization, one can anticipate a complex and layered taste profile that evolves as it lingers on the tongue.

Supermarkets offer a range of store-bought options for tomato paste, available in cans or tubes. Anna Theoktisto, who directs recipe development and testing in the Food & Wine Test Kitchen, endorses the Muir Glen brand for its intense tomato flavor profile. The shelf also often houses double-concentrated tomato paste, a version more potent than your regular variety.

An opened container of tomato paste stays fit for consumption for about a month in the fridge if stored in an airtight container. However, considering tomato paste is often used sparingly, Theoktisto advises preserving its freshness by freezing after use.

She recommends portioning unused paste into two-tablespoon dollops onto parchment paper, roll these up, and freeze them. This method, she shares, enables the paste to retain its quality for an extended period.

Whether homemade or store-bought, unlock the culinary potential of tomato paste with these delectable recipe suggestions:

-Tomato paste infuses a creamy, savory soup primed in just over 30 minutes with irresistible depth. -In the Middle Eastern and North African staple Shakshuka, a compelling stew of tomato paste and diced tomatoes poaches eggs to perfection. -Viet-Cajun shellfish stew dances with rich flavors, invigorated by tomato paste and canned tomatoes.

• Breathe a burst of complexity into vegetables by coating them with tomato paste for a tender, braised short rib dish. -A brisk, soulful supper is prepared in no time, simmering in a broth heightened courtesy of tomato paste. -Bratwurst is basking in a curry tomato sauce spiked with a hint of tomato paste. The tomato paste adds a flavorsome dimension to the spiced meat filling in a Puerto Rican layer casserole. -Experience an umami undercurrent pleasantly punching through a garlicky thyme- and rosemary-infused broth, courtesy of tomato paste. -Cook as the Sicilians do, teaming eggplant, caciocavallo cheese, and a combination of tomato paste and crushed tomatoes for an 'ncasciata packed with flavor. -A spicy Italian-American seafood dish made succulent in an umami-rich tomato sauce thanks to tomato paste.
• The classic "Assassin's Spaghetti" gets a tomato paste boost yielding a mouthwatering pasta dish. -A traditional chicken stew gains an irresistible kick from a robust tomato sauce concocted from tomato paste and canned tomatoes.
• A floral, tender, charred chicken dish is enriched by a jam-thick masala infused with tomato paste. -A warming one-pot stew brimming with tender chuck roast makes generous use of tomato paste for inherent flavorsfullness.