Quick-Cooked Tomato Puree (Passata di Pomodoro) Recipe

By
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Daniel Gritzer
Senior Culinary Director
Daniel joined the Serious Eats culinary team in 2014 and writes recipes, equipment reviews, articles on cooking techniques. Prior to that he was a food editor at Food & Wine magazine, and the staff writer for Time Out New York's restaurant and bars section.
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Updated Mar. 30, 2021
Photograph: Vicky Wasik

Why It Works

  • Cooking the tomatoes with their seeds improves the puree's flavor; the seeds and skins are strained out after.

A quick and easy puree made from fresh tomatoes, which can then be used in any recipe calling for a tomato puree.

Recipe Facts

Active: 35 mins
Total: 35 mins
Makes: 1 quart

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Ingredients

  • 3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes (about 15 large plum tomatoes), diced
  • Kosher salt

Directions

  1. In a large saucepan, heat tomatoes over medium-high heat, stirring, until tomatoes begin to release their liquid. Bring to a simmer, then lower heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until much of the excess liquid has cooked off but the tomatoes aren't totally dry, about 15 minutes.

  2. Transfer tomatoes and any juices to a vegetable strainer, a fine-mesh strainer, or a food mill set with the finest strainer. Strain the tomatoes of seeds and skin, pushing all the pulp and juices through; if straining by hand, use a wooden spoon and a scraping motion to pass the tomato flesh through into a bowl below. For an even smoother texture, pass the coulis once more through an even finer strainer.

  3. Season with salt. Use the tomato puree in any recipe calling for a tomato puree, or freeze for up to 6 months.

Special equipment

food mill, vegetable strainer, or fine-mesh strainer

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