As a passionate foodie, I love using fresh ingredients in my cooking.
One ingredient that is hard to come by during the winter months is tomatoes. Tomato passata has become a staple of mine and I find it is perfect for making sauces and soups.
Unfortunately, tomato passata can be quite expensive so I decided to look into whether there was an alternative.
After some research online, I think I’ve found the answer.
And in this post, I will share with you some of the best substitutes for tomato passata.
Let’s take a look.
Read more: What To Do With Leftover Banana Bread?
Best tomato passata substitutes for your recipes
Tomato paste
Tomato paste is the same as tomato passata with three times as much dense.
Tomato passata is less wet than regular passata, but the taste will be similar. You can make your own tomato paste by mixing one part of it with two parts of water to make passata.
Fresh tomatoes
If you want to make your own passata, fresh tomatoes work well. If you use the tomatoes directly, you will need to deal with seeds and skin (but if you cut out the skin and seeds, then it will be easier).
You can process them in a food processor or strainer to get rid of chunks or seeds. You should also peel off the skins before using them for this recipe.
Pasta sauce
The sauces you bought from supermarkets are often denser than passata. The sauce often has other ingredients such as onions or basils.
You might need to keep your recipe in mind when you substitute it. Some people use a 1:1 ratio when cooking. But with water, it’s possible to dilute the mixture so it looks and feels like passata.
Tomato paste could be a good choice for some dishes, but it does not make the sauce as thick. You will have to cook the food for a shorter time with tomato pasta sauce.
Canned tomato products
Canned tomatoes are a good replacement for passata. They have seeds in them, so sometimes canned tomatoes will be whole and not pureed.
If you use canned tomatoes, remember that you should use more of them than if you used passata. For example, one tin of canned tomatoes is about half the amount of passata.
You can take the tomatoes out of the jar and mash them to make passata. You have to mash or blend a medium-sized tomato to make one tablespoon of passata.
Red pepper puree
So, you’re in need of passata but tomato is just optional in your recipe, then try using red peppers that are pureed. It’s possible for you to make this by yourself.
You can choose the red peppers (roasted ones) and remove their skin. Then you blend everything in a food processor until the mixture is smooth.
Ketchup
Tomato ketchup is sweeter than passata. Passata is more liquid. Add water to tomato ketchup to make it like passata. The dish will be sweeter and there will be more vinegar and spices in it.
The definition of tomato passata
Tomato Passata is just crushed tomatoes that have been passed through a sieve to remove chunks. It doesn’t have any other flavorings but sometimes salt is added.
If you were to just crush these tomatoes and pass them through a sieve, they would be thinner and salt would not be added.
Is passata and tomato puree the same thing?
Not really. Tomato Passata is often sold in bottles. It contains pureed, strained tomatoes that are 100% tomato with no additives or flavorings.
Sometimes it has added salt to make the sauce thicker. It’s smoother than crushed or chopped tomatoes and it makes a thick sauce of tomato-based foods.
What is tomato passata used for?
Tomato passata is a type of tomato product. It can be used in any recipe that calls for tomatoes but does not need pieces of tomatoes, such as sauce, soup, and stew.
One example is on a pizza where you want the fresh flavor of tomatoes to come through more than cooked down tomatoes.
It also makes thicker tomato-flavored sauces. It is good for making quick pasta sauces and soup, where you can’t or doesn’t simmer for a long time (eg. 30 minutes+).
Can I use passata instead of tomato paste?
Yes, you can. Passata is like tomato paste but it has water in it. If you don’t want to add more water to your dish, use the following amounts: 1 tablespoon of tomato paste = 3 tablespoons of passata.
Is passata always tomato?
Passata is a smooth sauce made from tomatoes. You would use it for recipes where you want the tomato flavor without the skin and seeds. It came from Italy, so you can find it in Italian recipes.
What is the difference between passata and tinned tomatoes?
Passata is a smooth tomato sauce. It is perfect for cooking with because it does not have chunks in it. Passata is simply pureed and sieved tomatoes.
The smooth sauce-like consistency means that you can use it for a lot of things instead of canned tomatoes, especially if your children don’t like the chunks in canned kinds.
Can you cook pasta in passata?
Yes, you can cook pasta in the passata. Tomato puree is used to make a bolognese sauce without simmering for 20 minutes. To do this, you need to start with an extra liquid sauce so that it is not too thick for the pasta to cook in.
What is passata used in cooking?
It has a light flavor that is perfect for making sauces, pasta dishes, or adding to your favorite soup recipes. You can find it in tall glass jars and you should keep some in the cupboard.
Does Tesco sell passata?
Yes, Tesco has a passata and it is the size of 500g.
What is the difference between passata and puree?
Passata is a type of puree, but it is different from other types.
Passata means puree in Italian. But the tomatoes are cold, not heated, and skinned. The flavor of the tomatoes comes out before they are heated or skinned because they are raw.
Are canned tomatoes good or bad for your health?
Because of the BPA found on the resin linings, a chemical that might cause many diseases. This chemical can sneak into your meals when the tomatoes are acidic. (source)
Where is passata in a supermarket?
It can be found in the canned goods section or aisle of the grocery store.
Conclusion
In short, here are the top 6 best tomato passata substitutes you can use:
- Tomato paste
- Fresh tomatoes
- Pasta sauce
- Canned tomato products
- Red pepper puree
- Ketchup
In the end, it is up to you which substitute will work best for your dish. However, using a tomato passata substitute does not have to be difficult if you use these 6 substitutes above.
Which one of these do you think would go well with your recipe?