Tomato passata: how to make the classic Italian sauce
Try your hand at making your own tomato passata sauce at home with this easy recipe by the Cornersmith team. It’s perfect for adding to pasta dishes as a quick midweek dinner. Make a batch of this budget pantry staple when red tomatoes are in season so you can enjoy it all year round.
What you need to know before you start
You’ll need sterilised jars with lids, oven trays, a large stockpot and a stainless steel mouli to make this recipe. If you don’t have a mouli, you can also use a nylon sieve to extract as much juice as possible from the tomatoes.
Why is this the best tomato passata recipe?
Translated from the Italian ‘passata di pomodoro’ (tomato puree), this pantry staple is essential for creating beautiful pastas, soups and curries at home. By making your own version, you know exactly what ingredients you’re using, plus it allows you to customise the flavours to your liking. Unlike some other store-bought versions, this recipe uses roasted tomatoes, garlic and onions, which brings out their natural sweetness and adds extra richness and depth of flavour.
How to sterilise jars for tomato passata
Sterilising jars is a crucial step that will ensure your passata has a long shelf life. It’s an easy and fuss-free process that will help to preserve your sauce and eliminate any unwanted bacteria.
The best way to sterilise your jars is by running them, and any rubber seals and lids, through the hottest cycle in your dishwasher. Otherwise, wash in very hot soapy water, rinse under very hot tap water and then place jars (no lids or seals) directly on shelves in a preheated 110°C/90°C fan-forced oven until completely dried. Allow seals and lids to dry on a clean towel in direct sunlight, turning a few times until completely dry.
What’s the difference between passata and pasta sauce?
You may be surprised to know that tomato passata and pasta sauce are different. The word ‘passata’ is derived from the Italian verb ‘passare’, meaning ‘to go through’ – creating this puree requires it to go through a sieve or mouli.
Pasta sauce differs as it’s usually cooked in a large pot on a stovetop with plenty of aromatics, herbs and spices. A sauce can be readily paired with fresh pasta, whereas passata may need extra flavourings, based on the recipe you choose to use it in.
What ingredients you’ll need
Red tomatoes: Passata gets the bulk of its flavour and body from red tomatoes. Sweet, acidic and balanced, tomatoes add richness and a beautiful tanginess. We chose fresh, in-season tomatoes rather than canned tomatoes for a fuller, more flavoursome result.
Onions: When roasted, onions release a sweet depth of flavour to mellow out the acidic aroma from tomatoes.
Garlic: Garlic cloves give the dish an umami boost. Once roasted, the cloves provide a slightly sweet and nutty flavour.
Olive oil: Olive oil adds a peppery pop with a lusciously silky mouthfeel. When cooked alongside the tomatoes and onions, it enhances the natural flavours of the ingredients to create a more well-rounded dish.
Basil: Whole basil leaves are used in this recipe to impart a sweet herbaceousness with a slightly spiced flavour. If you don’t have access to fresh basil, you can use dried basil leaves, or other herbs such as thyme and rosemary.
How to prepare homemade tomato passata
Making your own tomato passata from scratch is easier than you may think. You’ll need to set aside around 20 minutes of preparation time to wash, cut and peel your ingredients before roasting until soft, blistered and delicious. As a final step, add the fresh basil, as incorporating it earlier during the method steps will diminish its punchy flavours.
How to store tomato passata
When stored correctly, passata will last from two weeks up to a whole year. To ensure freshness, the sterilised jars go through a water bath canning process. This method creates a vacuum seal, preventing microorganisms from contaminating your food. A properly sealed jar can be stored in a cool, dark place for a year, whereas unsealed jars will need to be chilled.
The best way to use tomato passata
Passata is a versatile ingredient and can be used across many different cuisines and courses. Hero it in hearty savoury dishes such as Dan dan shepherd’s pie and Chicken cacciatore, or use it as base to build our Super Norma and Butter chicken with chickpeas.
If you love our tomato passata recipe, try this
Ready to build your pantry with easy, flavourful purees, condiments, chutneys and preserves? Check out our expertly curated selection of recipes to build complex flavours and add extra oomph to your homemade dishes.
Try your hand at these easy recipes below:
Ingredients (5)
- 5kg ripe red tomatoes, washed, halved
- 500g onions, chopped
- 1 garlic bulb, cloves separated, peeled, bruised
- 1/2 cup (125ml) Woolworths extra virgin olive oil
- 1 bunch basil, leaves torn
Don't forget you can add these ingredients to your Woolworths shopping list.
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1.Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease 2 baking trays and line with baking paper.
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2.Spread tomatoes, onion and garlic evenly across prepared trays, then season with 1 tbs salt flakes and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Divide oil evenly between trays and toss to combine. Roast, swapping trays halfway, for 45 minutes or until tomatoes are blistered and onion has softened. Set aside to cool for 30 minutes, then stir through basil.
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3.Pass tomato mixture through a mouli or nylon sieve into a bowl and extract as much juice as possible. Reserve any remaining seeds and skins to make tomato conserva.
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4.Sterilise bottles and lids and pour passata into hot jars. Tap jars on a work surface and run a clean knife around the inside to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rim of the jars with paper towel and seal.
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5.Line the base of a large stockpot (it should be deep enough to submerge the jars under water) with a tea towel and, working in batches if necessary, add jars, making sure they don’t touch the sides of the pot or one another.
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6.Roughly matching the water temperature to the temperature of the jars (this prevents the jars breaking when the water is added), pour in enough water to completely cover the jars. Slowly bring to the boil over medium heat. Boil for 40 minutes, adding more boiling water when necessary so the jars are completely submerged at all times, or until the jar lids are puffed up and convex. Using a heatproof jug, carefully remove enough water from the pot to allow you to carefully remove jars from water using oven gloves or a thick tea towel. Set aside at room temperature overnight.
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7.The next day, the jar lids should be concave, confirming they are vacuumsealed. If lids are not concave, passata should be stored chilled and used within 2 weeks. Sealed jars can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.
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