7 pages tagged sauces.
Frying tomato paste removes its raw edge, concentrates its savoury flavour and coats the cooking fat before liquid is added. The colour in the pan tells you when to stop.
Flat passata usually needs concentration rather than more herbs. Reduce it in a wide pan, season in stages and finish with fat after the water has gone.
Tinned tomatoes are not bland by default. They taste dull when excess water stays in the pan and the tomato never gets the concentrated finish it needs.
Buy a tube when you use tomato paste a little at a time. Buy a tin when you cook for a crowd or want the lowest cost per spoon.
Passata varies from thick puree to pourable tomato water. Check the ingredient list, packaging and texture clues before you pay more for a carton.
For the smoothest sauce with the least work, choose passata. Choose crushed tomatoes when you want a sauce that can reduce further and still taste full.
Use tinned tomatoes when the tomato should stay visible. Use passata when you want a smooth sauce with less work. The middle ground is where most pans go wrong.