In countries such as the United Kingdom, India, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, the term tomato sauce is used to describe a condiment similar to what Americans call ketchup.

However, much of Pre-Columbian cuisine history in Mexico, along with other culturally significant information, had been purged during the periods of conquest by Europeans, chiefly the Spanish.

[2] Bernardino de Sahagún, a Franciscan friar from the Kingdom of Spain, is believed to be the first European to write about tomato sauce after encountering it for sale in the markets of Tenochtitlan (Mexico City, today).

Tomato sauce also began to be used in the cuisine of the south of France at the same time, particularly in Provence and the Basque Country.

[5] The use of tomato sauce with pasta appeared for the first time in 1790 in the Italian cookbook L'Apicio moderno, by Roman chef Francesco Leonardi.

Other seasonings typically include dried red chili flakes, epazote, basil, oregano, parsley, and black pepper.

[8] In Mexico, the best-known raw tomato sauce is pico de gallo, also known as salsa cruda.

[11] Tomato sauce in Italian cuisine is first mentioned in Antonio Latini's cookbook Lo scalco alla moderna (Naples, 1692).

The first known use of tomato sauce with pasta appears in the Italian cookbook L'Apicio moderno, by the Roman chef Francesco Leonardi, published in 1790.

[6] Italian tomato dishes range from simple pasta al pomodoro to the piquant puttanesca and arrabbiata sauces.

Tomato-based sauces for pasta may also include sausage, clams, pancetta cubes, tuna, or vegetables.

[14] Basic cooked tomato sauce, with garlic and olive oil is also a classic in the cuisine of southern France, it is used in many dishes like piperade, tian, chichoumeille, alouettes sans têtes (a kind of paupiette).

It is similar to Italian tomato sauce, but features more Louisiana flavors derived from the fusion of French and Spanish cooking styles.