20 Recipes That Start With a Can of Tomatoes

March 15, 2019
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Photo: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro
Canned tomatoes are essential to so many of our favorite recipes. From pasta sauce to jambalaya, here are 20 of our favorite easy recipes that start with a simple can of tomatoes. 
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Roasted Tomato-Garlic Sauce

Caitlin Bensel
Roasted Tomato-Garlic Sauce Recipe

Pick up low- or no-sodium canned tomatoes; regular canned varieties can contain a surprising amount of added salt that you won’t miss. Use on pizzas or stirred into pasta.

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Spicy Tomato Aioli

Caitlin Bensel
Spicy Tomato Aioli Recipe

This smoky mayonnaise will be your go-to spread this grilling season. Canned fire-roasted tomatoes—a divinely flavorful shortcut—add a nice waft of smoky flavor, which plays off the punchy notes of garlic and red pepper flakes. Pair it with your favorite burger, or treat yourself by using it as a decadent dip for sweet potato fries. Pro tip: Be sure to let the tomato mixture cool completely before combining it with the mayo to ensure the perfect creamy texture.

3 of 20

Ziti with Mushroom, Fennel, and Tomato Ragu

Ziti with Mushroom, Fennel, and Tomato Ragu
Ziti with Mushroom, Fennel, and Tomato Ragu Recipe

Think your Ragu has to filled with ground beef? Think again. While traditionally a meat sauce, we’ve developed flavors and textures in this sauce with multiple varieties of mushrooms. Serve a loaf of warm bread to sop up all the saucy goodness of this pasta dish. Use a Parmesan rind in your Ragu, soups, and stews to subtly infuse the dish with the flavors of the cheese. If the rind doesn’t dissolve during the cooking process, you can remove it from the mixture, as instructed in this recipe, or break it up with a fork into small, chewy pieces. While any pasta shape will work with this hearty vegetarian dish, we prefer penne or ziti; these noodles help capture every last bite of the chunky sauce.

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Creamy Tomato Soup with Parmesan Crisps

Caitlin Bensel
Creamy Tomato Soup with Parmesan Crisps Recipe

We've turned our favorite part of a grilled cheese sandwich—when the cheese hits the hot pan and becomes a lacy, golden crisp—into a garnish for quick, creamy tomato soup. Grated Parmesan cheese melts and melds with crispy panko breadcrumbs in the skillet into silver dollar-sized crisps, then are flipped to brown on the other side. If you don’t have half-and-half, stir a spoonful or two of the pureed soup into yogurt until smooth, then stir that mixture back into the soup.

5 of 20

Beef-and-Bean Chili

Photo: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham
Beef-and-Bean Chili Recipe

This classic red chili has chunks of stew meat and ground beef along with tomatoes, red beans, and spices. 

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Fire-Roasted Tomato-Basil Soup

Photography: Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Anna Hampton; Prop Styling: Thom Driver.
Fire-Roasted Tomato-Basil Soup Recipe

Start with canned fire-roasted tomatoes to give the soup some smoky depth. Serve with sliced toasted sourdough and steamed broccoli from your list.

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Smoky Beef-and-Bacon Chili

Photo: Peden & Munk; Styling: Amy Wilson    
Smoky Beef-and-Bacon Chili Recipe
Bacon, fire-roasted tomatoes, and spicy smoked paprika give this easy-to-make chili recipe a deep, complex flavor. While it's great right after you make it, it's even better the next day. Serve with warm cornbread for a complete meal.

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Easy Chili

Photography: Greg DuPree Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Prop Styling: Thom Driver
Easy Chili Recipe

Look no further for the ultimate, easy chili recipe. With just a push of a button, your weekday dinner is taken care of as the chili cooks away in the slow-cooker. Add chili to your next barbeque to top grilled sausages for an upgraded version of chili dogs. You can easily substitute ground turkey instead of beef for a lighter option and the rest of the ingredients should already be stocked away in your pantry. To top the hot, spicy chili, add shredded Cheddar cheese and corn chips for extra flavor and texture. To go beyond our favorite classic recipe, find more chili recipes here. 

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Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce with Garlic Cheese Toasts

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Lindsey Lower, Claire Spollen
Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce with Garlic Cheese Toasts Recipe

We really liked this dish with the fruity heat of Turkish Aleppo pepper, but you can substitute crushed red pepper.

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Mussels with Spicy Tomato Sauce

Victor Protasio
Mussels with Spicy Tomato Sauce Recipe

San Marzano plum tomatoes—known for their pure tomato flavor—are the secret supermarket find in this super quick simmering sauce. Available in shelf-stable boxes as well as cans, their perfect balance of sweetness and acidity make them worth seeking out. As the mussels open, the sauce flavors the briny meat in the shells. Crusty baguette is a must-have to soak up the extra sauce. Serve with mixed greens tossed with Italian vinaigrette. Prep tip: Check the mussels while you clean them and discard any that are already open or that have cracked shells—they won't be fresh.

11 of 20

Tagliatelle with Shrimp, Tomato-Anchovy Sauce, and Chiles

Caitlin Bensel
Tagliatelle with Shrimp, Tomato-Anchovy Sauce, and Chiles Recipe

Garlicky tomato sauce gets an umami boost courtesy of flavor-packed anchovy fillets. Garnish with fresh basil, some sliced Fresno chile, and copious amounts of Parm for a simple yet satisfying dish.

12 of 20

Steak Fajita Chili

Ryan Liebe
Steak Fajita Chili Recipe

Make this staff-favorite one of your go-to dutch-oven dinners this fall. Tougher cuts of meat, like chuck-eye turn meltingly soft, root vegetables make the stew rich and hearty, and a dollop of greek yogurt adds just the right amount of tang, to cut through the rich sauce and brighten the meal. 

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Turkey and Bean Chili

Photo: John Autry; Styling: Cindy Barr
Turkey and Bean Chili Recipe

Make this low-calorie chili in just 20 minutes for a quick, one-pot supper. Serve with cornbread to complete the meal.

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Chicken Chili Pot Pie

Photo: Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall
Chicken Chili Pot Pie Recipe

This hearty and comforting chicken chili is made with poblano chiles and butternut squash. You can make individual servings in 10-ounce ramekins or one large pot pie using a 3-quart baking dish. Either way, everyone will love the puffed, cheesy cilantro-grits crust.

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Simple Enchilada Casserole

Time Inc. Video Studio 
Simple Enchilada Casserole Recipe

Spicy, creamy, and wholly comforting! 

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Slow-Cooker Jambalaya Soup

Jennifer Causey
Slow-Cooker Jambalaya Soup Recipe

Look for andouille near the smoked sausages in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. Want to make this soup in your Instant Pot? Click here for the recipe. 

17 of 20

Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese

Time Inc. Video Studio 
Vegan Spaghetti Bolognese Recipe

This hearty, veggie-forward take on classic pasta Bolognese is a dish that everyone at the table will enjoy, regardless of their relationship status with meat. 

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One-Pot Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes

Jennifer Causey
One-Pot Pasta with Spinach and Tomatoes Recipe

This pasta dinner is a game changer: You use just enough liquid to cook the pasta--no colander needed. Recipe adapted from our sister publication Southern Living. Cost for 4: $8.43

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Penne and Chicken with Tomato Sauce

Photo: Lee Harrelson
Penne and Chicken with Tomato Sauce Recipe

Make this top-rated chicken pasta flavored with fennel and coriander in less than 40 minutes.

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Ultimate Quick-and-Easy Pasta Sauce

Photo: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro
Ultimate Quick-and-Easy Pasta Sauce Recipe
This easy pasta sauce is so tasty and versatile. You can substitute crushed or whole tomatoes for the diced. Crushed will give you a smooth, thick sauce; whole adds a nice chunkiness. Serve this sauce with your favorite pasta.
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