Tomato based sauces in jars have already been cooked which makes them safe to eat cold or hot. You do not need to heat or cook your pasta sauce again as they are precooked and preserved.
This article will explore the best ways to use tomato sauce uncooked and straight from the jar as well as some simple ways to heat the sauce with minimal effort.
7 Ways to use tomato sauce uncooked
There are loads of ways to use tomato sauce uncooked. You can spoon it through cooked pasta, pop it on top of cooked fish or chicken or toast it in a quesadilla. This will gently heat the sauce without needing to heat it on the stove.
Check out my list below of the top ways to use tomato sauce straight from the jar.
- Mix tomato sauce with tuna and mix it through cooked pasta or rice.
- Pour tomato sauce on top of schnitzel, top with cheese and pop them in the oven to melt the cheese.
- Mix through cooked pasta – Simply mix tomato sauce through hot, cooked pasta for a quick mid-week meal.
- Pour tomato sauce on the top of cooked fish.
- Add tomato sauce to the top of chicken and add some grated cheese to make it extra tasty.
- Use tomato sauce as a tasty salsa by adding a spoonful of chilli flakes.
- Pop tomato sauce between flat bread with cheese and toast them for easy quesadilla.
The best tomato sauce options to use uncooked
Pre-made pasta sauces with tomatoes are the best option to use uncooked. Look out for bolognese based sauce, simple tomato and herb or tomato and vegetable mixes. These will be full of flavor, already cooked for hours and delicious straight out of the jar.
Avoid eating carbonara or creamy based sauces uncooked or straight from the jar. These will be thick and will be tasteless without being heated.
You can eat tomatoes straight from the can as well. You can scoop it out with a spoon and pop it straight onto fish or chicken. Take care that you don’t touch the sharp edges of the can when scooping the sauce out.
Can you eat tomato sauce straight out of the jar?
You can eat tomato sauce straight out of the jar without heating it up. The tomato sauce is precooked and heated in the jar to seal and keep it food safe. The flavor of the sauce will not be as strong if it is eaten at room temperature compared to when it has been heated.
After you have opened the jar of sauce, pop the lid on and place it back in the fridge for 3-4 days. If you want to keep it for longer, move it to a freezer safe container and freeze it for up to 6 months.
5 Easy ways to heat tomato sauce from a jar
Check out these simple ways to heat pasta sauce at home straight from the jar.
1. Stir sauce through hot pasta
The simplest way to heat your tomato sauce is to mix it through some freshly cooked pasta. After draining the cooking water off of your pasta, pour the sauce in the same pan with teh pasta and mix it through.
The residual heat from the pan and the pasta will warm the sauce and it will be ready to serve. Keep 1-2 spoons of the pasta water aside to add back in if the sauce becomes too thick.
2. Grill
Another easy way to heat sauce is to pop the food and the sauce under the grill in your oven. If you are making grilled chicken topped with tomato sauce and cheese, you can prepare this, pop it under the grill and it will be ready in a flash.
3. Flat toaster
Cooking a sandwich or wrap in the taosted filled with precooked chicken, sauce and cheese is a great snack. Make yoru sandwich and pop it striagh into the griller. This will heat the sauce and give you a great dish to eat in a few minutes.
4. Microwave
Pop the tomato sauce into a microwave safe dish to heat it up. Pop a lid on top with a small gap to allow steam to escape. Microwave for 1 minute and then 30 seconds at a time stirring to evenly distribute the heat. You will have warm sauce in a few mnutes.
5. Stove
Heating sauce on the stove is a really simple way to warm it up. Pop a saucepan on the stove on low and add your sauce. It will only take 5 minutes to heat the sauce up to the point that it is steaming hot. If you are simmering for more than 30 minutes, pop a few spoons of water in the sauce to stop it from becoming too thick.
Can you eat tomato sauce uncooked? | Summary
Tomato sauce that has been precooked and jarred can be eaten without cooking it again. You can eat jarred pasta sauce hot or cold on meat, mixed through pasta or even on its own. Avoid eating creamy sauces without heating them up as they will be to thick and will have a strange texture.
Happy cooking.
I am an accredited practicing dietitian, experienced gardener and a dedicated cook. I love writing and sharing my experience so you can learn from my successes and mistakes.