Tomato sauce (Spanish: salsa de tomate; Italian: salsa di pomodoro; French: sauce tomate) can describe various sauces made mainly from tomatoes. In some nations the term refers to a sauce to be acted as part of a dish; in others, it is a spice. Tomatoes have a rich taste, high water material, soft flesh which breaks down conveniently, and the appropriate make-up to thicken into a sauce when stewed, without the need for thickeners such as roux or masa. All of these qualities make them suitable for simple and appealing sauces. Tomato sauce generally has a thinner consistency than tomato paste and tomato purée; nonetheless, tomato sauces might utilize either as an ingredient. In recipes tomato sauces prevail for meat and vegetables such as in stews, yet they are perhaps best called bases for Italian pasta or pizza recipes, or in Mexican salsas. In countries such as the UK, India, Pakistan, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, the term tomato sauce is utilized to describe a dressing similar to what Americans call catsup. In several of these countries, both terms are utilized for the spice.
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