Passata Recipe (Passata di Pomodoro)

Passata, also known as passata di pomodoro is a delicious tomato juice made from ripe, juicy, flavorful good quality tomatoes.

I am going to cover everything from ingredients and equipment to step-by-step instructions and creative uses. Get ready to embark on a delicious journey through the art of passata-homemaking! Remember, this recipe contains no sugar.

Easy to make and so rewarding, not to mention how delicious this tomato sauce is.

Passata is a versatile and essential ingredient in many kitchens around the world. This smooth, tomato-based sauce is created by pureeing ripe tomatoes (ideally garden tomatoes) and is often used as a base for various Italian or non-Italian dishes like pasta or pizza sauces, soups, and stews. With its vibrant flavor, passata adds depth and a touch of sweetness to your favorite recipes.

I remember my mum always used to make tomato passata at the end of summer when there were lots of beautifully ripe tomatoes. But now, you can find good red tomatoes all year round so passata can be made all year round. The secret is to just pick the best ones!

Jump to:

• ❓What is passata?
• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🤹🏻Variations
• 🔪 How to make homemade passata
• Storage
• Ways to Use Passata
• Is passata the same as tomato juice?
• FAQs
• What does “Passata di Pomodoro” mean?
• Other recipes you may like:
• Recipes with tomato passata
• Passata Recipe (Passata di Pomodoro)

❓What is passata?

Passata, often referred to as "Passata di Pomodoro" in Italian, is a smooth and sometimes thick tomato sauce made from ripe, fresh tomatoes. It is a staple ingredient in Italian cuisine and serves as a versatile base for a wide range of dishes.

traditionally, passata is made from ripe tomatoes that are usually blanched to remove their skins, simmered to break down into a sauce-like consistency, and then strained to remove seeds and any remaining solids. The resulting passata is a concentrated tomato sauce that is rich in flavor and sweetness. It can be used as a foundation for creating delicious and authentic Italian dishes or as a convenient shortcut for adding the essence of ripe tomatoes to your cooking.

Your dishes will be truly delectable and nothing compares with a good homemade passata made with perfectly ripe tomatoes harvested from your garden.

It is so lovely to see that lately, more and more people like making their tomato passata because they're into old-fashioned cooking, made from scratch, preserving, pickling, and using fresh, local produce. It is so wonderful to see the shift.

🥘 Ingredients

You will only need two ingredients to make this wonderful tomato passata recipe. Yes, you read it all correctly, two ingredients:

• Garden tomatoes - fresh and ripe
• Salt

I see many passata recipes with added sugar. What? Why? I am not totally against the idea but in my opinion, you will only need to add a bit of sugar if you don't have the best tomatoes. By best tomatoes I mean, garden, organic, ripe-to-perfection, juicy tomatoes. But if you don't have the best tomatoes, I would stick to buying my passata. A good Italian brand made from organic tomatoes would be my second choice if the tomatoes aren't homegrown. A good passata has to be full of flavor, otherwise, in my opinion, there's not much point.

See the recipe card below for the exact quantities.

🤹🏻Variations

• Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking it to imbue heat into the tomato sauce;
• Deluxe - add root vegetables to make it a great soup base ready to use any time;
• Add no salt at all if you want this to be a low-salt recipe;
• Mediterranean style - add olive oil, garlic, dried herbs like oregano, basil, thyme.
• Add sugar - if you fancy or if the tomatoes were not ripe to perfection
• Add caramelized onions for an amazing extra flavor.
• You may even add mushrooms

See how to make this homemade pizza sauce made from scratch here and how this passata recipe will be very handy to have and use - all you need to do is just add a few more ingredients and herbs. Quick, easy, and super delicious.

🔪 How to make homemade passata

Making your passata is a rewarding process that captures the essence and the freshness of tomatoes. Here are some simple steps:

Method 1

Using a Tomato stainless steel Strainer Machine

Method 2

Using a sieve or a clean cloth/tea towel.

Literally, cook the tomatoes and pass them through a sieve to separate the skin and the seeds of the tomato pulp and store them (see below a few storing methods).

Method 3

If you do not have a strainer machine, nor the patience to sieve these through, cook the tomatoes first, blend them in a standard blender, and then pour through a sieve to discard the skin and seeds.

Hint: To achieve a thicker passata, reduce it to the desired consistency by cooking it on the stove or oven for longer.

The process is a little time-consuming (making passata is a time-consuming activity) but well worth it. I promise!

Storage

Depending on how you choose to preserve the passata determines how you store it too.

Here are 3 ways of preserving tomato passata:

1. Freeze the jars, making sure not to fill them to the brim, these last up to 3 months.
2. Keep the jars in the fridge and use the tomato passata within 1 week.
3. Create the vacuum: this involves removing the air from the inside the jars so that no bacteria grows or develops. This can be done two ways
   • cooking the passata just like I do
     • see the recipe below for all the details
   • adding the tomato passata into the sterilized jars and boiling them.
     • Add the strain passata into the jars
     • Place the lids on
     • Put the jars in a large pot
     • Add water and cloth in between the jars so these don't break
     • Place over heat and boil for 45 minutes from the minute the water has reached the boiling point.

Can I freeze passata?

Yes, absolutely! You can freeze passata in airtight containers for up to 6 months. Just remember to leave some space for expansion as liquid expands when frozen.

FAQs

What does “Passata di Pomodoro” mean?

"Passata" originates from the Italian term "passare," which means "to pass." Passata is created via a mechanical procedure in which tomatoes are passed through the blades and apertures of the apparatus employed for its production. This is the source of the Italian designation "Passata."

Pomodoro is the actual fruit as you know it, the actual "tomato”.

Other recipes you may like:

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Recipes with tomato passata

Here are a few ideas and recipes that use passata di pomodoro.