49 Dinners You Can Make with a Jar of Tomato Sauce

Author image: purewow author

By Alexandra Hough

•

Published Mar 29, 2019

Additional reporting by

Katherine Gillen

recipes with tomato sauce

Cooking dinner at home is awesome in theory. (You’re so healthy! You’re saving so much money!) And then you think about all the ingredients you’ll need to buy. And the chopping. And the dishes. And then takeout suddenly seems like a way better idea. Wait—before you pick up the phone, check out these quick-and-easy dinner recipes that use jarred tomato sauce as a shortcut. You’ve got this.

zoodles with tomato sauce mozarella

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

1. Zoodles with Tomato Sauce and Mozzarella

Low-carb and gluten-free but still totally decadent.

grilled cheese tomato soup casserole

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

2. Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup Casserole

Bookmark this one for a rainy night.

pepperoni pasta bake

Gimme Some Oven

3. Pepperoni Pasta Bake

Hearty, saucy and ridiculously easy.

easy ratatouille tomato sauce

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

4. Easy Ratatouille

Psst: It’s ready in under an hour.

rigatoni pasta pie tomato sauce

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

5. Rigatoni Pasta Pie

Who says pumpkin and cherry get to have all the fun?

eggplant parm casserole

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

6. Eggplant Parm Casserole

In a word, yum.

three ingredient creamy tomato shells

Pinch of Yum

7. Three-Ingredient Creamy Tomato Shells

It practically makes itself.

baked zichinni spirals tomato sauce

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

8. Baked Zucchini “Ziti” Spirals with Mozzarella

Go ahead, have seconds. (And thirds.)

chicken parm baked ziti

Gimme Some Oven

9. Chicken Parmesan Baked Ziti

Two of our favorites in one? Be still our hearts.

slow cooker turkey chilli

Two Peas and Their Pod

10. Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili

Cornbread optional (but strongly encouraged).

polenta and meatballs

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

11. Polenta and Meatballs

A new take on an old favorite.

pepperoni pizza sliders

Averie Cooks

12. Pepperoni Pizza Sliders

Ditto.

creamy caprese quinoa bake

Half Baked Harvest

13. Creamy Caprese Quinoa Bake

This vegetarian main is secretly packed with protein.

eggplant pizza

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

14. Low-Carb, Gluten-Free Eggplant Pizza

In this household, there’s a three-slice minimum.

stuffed peppers tomato sauce

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

15. Classic Stuffed Peppers

Peppers > plates.

pizza muffins

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

16. Pizza Muffins

The most amazing invention of all time (sorry, electricity).

baking sheet pizza olives tomatoes

PHOTO: JON COSPITO/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL

17. Baking-Sheet Pizza with Olives and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Put this one-pan wonder in your weekly rotation.

spaghetti squahs casserole1

Spend With Pennies

18. Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Like pasta, but more delicious.

baked mozzerella chicken rolls

Pinch of Yum

19. Baked Mozzarella Chicken Rolls

These little guys are the cutest.

one pot tomato pasta bake

Half Baked Harvest

20. Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta Bake

On the table in just 30 minutes.

cheesy chicken taco skillet

Averie Cooks

21. Cheesy Chicken Taco Skillet

The cheesier, the better.

vegetarian skiller lasagna

Half Baked Harvest

22. Vegetarian Skillet Lasagna

Are dishes your nemesis? Try this.

sloppy joe sheet pan totchos

How Sweet Eats

23. Sloppy Joe Sheet Pan Totchos

A little messy, but definitely worth it.

minestrone soup

Carlsbad Cravings

24. Minestrone Soup

Better than the canned stuff.

mushroom bolognese

Gimme Some Oven

25. Mushroom Bolognese

Extra cheese, please.

prosciutto hawaiin pizza

PHOTO: LIZ ANDREW/STYLING: ERIN MCDOWELL

26. Cheater’s Prosciutto Hawaiian Pizza

Major flavor, little work.

chicken pizzaiola

Pinch of Yum

27. Chicken Pizzaiola

You had us at six ingredients.

chicken parm grilled cheese

Damn Delicious

28. Chicken Parmesan Grilled Cheese

This one speaks for itself.

creamy beef and shells

Damn Delicious

29. Creamy Beef and Shells

The pasta dish of our dreams.

tomato vegetable white bean soup

Minimalist Baker

30. Tomato and Vegetable White Bean Soup

An ideal (and easy) way to eat your veggies.

vegan spaghetti squash with mushroom ragu recipe

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

31. Vegan Spaghetti Squash with Mushroom Marinara Sauce

No meat, no cheese, no problem.

recipes with tomato sauce one pan spaghetti and meatballs recipe

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

32. One-Pan Spaghetti and Meatballs

This would make any Italian grandma proud.

recipes with tomato sauce ravioli lasagna recipe

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

33. Ravioli Lasagna

You’ll never go back to regular noodles.

recipes with tomato sauce meal prep turkey meatballs with zucchini noodles recipe

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

34. Meal-Prep Turkey Meatballs with Zucchini Noodles

Start your timer for 35 minutes.

recipes with tomato sauce slow cooker deep dish pizza recipe

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

35. Slow-Cooker Deep-Dish Pizza

No trip to Chicago—or oven—required.

recipes with tomato sauce chicken parm bites recipe

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

36. Chicken Parmesan Bites

Go ahead, indulge your inner child.

recipes with tomato sauce cheaters sicilian style pizza recipe

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

37. Cheater’s Sicilian-Style Pizza with Jalapeños and Honey

The secret? Store-bought focaccia.

recipes with tomato sauce slow cooker stuffed shells recipe

Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

38. Slow-Cooker Stuffed Shells

This one practically cooks itself.

recipes with tomato sauce baked ziti recipe

Spoon Fork Bacon

39. Baked Ziti

It’s a weeknight classic for good reason.

recipes with tomato sauce braised chickpeas with chard recipe

The Modern Proper

40. Braised Chickpeas with Chard

Proof that pantry meals can be healthy too.

recipes with tomato sauce hearty spaghetti with lentils and marinara recipe

Cookie and Kate

41. Hearty Spaghetti with Lentils and Marinara Sauce

Lentils make a mean substitute for ground beef.

recipes with tomato sauce saucy baked pumpkin pasta recipe

Ambitious Kitchen

42. Saucy Baked Pumpkin Pasta

Don’t save this one just for fall.

recipes with tomato sauce baked eggplant parmesan recipe

Gimme Some Oven

43. Baked Eggplant Parmesan

When messy deep frying isn’t in the cards.

recipes with tomato sauce skillet cheesy chickpeas recipe

What’s Gaby Cooking

44. Skillet Cheesy Chickpeas

It’s only five ingredients (and two are canned).

recipes with tomato sauce one pot 30 minute creamy tomato basil pasta bake recipe

Half Baked Harvest

45. One-Pot 30-Minute Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta Bake

Enchilada sauce adds a hint of spice.

recipes with tomato sauce tomato and white bean stew on toast recipe

Photo: Christine Han/Styling: Erin McDowell

46. Tomato and White Bean Stew on Toast

Canned beans make it even faster.

recipes with tomato sauce pizza toast recipe

I am a Food Blog

47. Pizza Toast

Hello, lazy weeknight dinner.

recipes with tomato sauce pasta pomodoro with chicken and goat cheese recipe

Plays Well with Butter

48. Pasta Pomodoro with Chicken and Goat Cheese

You must be a fancy chef or something.

recipes with tomato sauce chicken parm sliders recipe

Dinner at the Zoo

49. Chicken Parmesan Sliders

File this one under “crowd pleaser.”

purewow author

Alexandra Hough

Katherine Gillen

Former Senior Food Editor

Headed PureWow’s food vertical
Contributed original reporting, recipes and food styling
Studied English Literature at the University of Notre Dame and Culinary Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education