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Homemade Tomato Passata Recipe (Passata di Pomodoro)
Homemade tomato passata is one of the simplest and most useful staples of Italian cooking. Traditional passata di pomodoro is made with just one main ingredient: ripe, flavorful tomatoes. They are briefly cooked, then passed through a food mill or tomato press to remove the skins and seeds, creating a smooth, vibrant tomato purée.
Ingredients
- 2 Kg tomatoes - 4 lb 6 oz of very ripe, flavorful tomatoes, such as San Marzano, Roma, or other good-quality sauce tomatoes
Instructions
- Choose very ripe, red tomatoes without bruises or damaged areas. Wash them thoroughly under running water, remove the stems, and cut them in half.
- Using a small knife or spoon, remove the seeds and the very watery inner part of each tomato. This step helps prevent the passata from becoming too watery and, more importantly, ensures a smoother, seed-free texture. This is especially useful if you are using a food mill, as some seeds may otherwise pass through. Place the prepared tomatoes in a large pot.
- Cover the pot and cook the tomatoes over low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not add any water: the tomatoes will release plenty of their own juices as they cook. They are ready when they are very soft and beginning to break down.
- Transfer the cooked tomatoes, a few ladlefuls at a time, to the tomato strainer. Gently push them through with the stomper. The skins and any remaining seeds will be separated from the pulp, while the smooth tomato passata will collect underneath.
- If the passata is still more liquid than you prefer, let it drain briefly through a fine-mesh strainer, stirring gently with a spoon, until it reaches the desired consistency.
Notes
How to Store Homemade Tomato Passata
Fresh homemade tomato passata can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
For longer storage, freezing is the easiest option. Let the passata cool, then transfer it to freezer-safe containers or jars, leaving some space at the top because the liquid will expand as it freezes. For the best flavor and texture, use frozen tomato passata within about 3 months.
Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before using.
How to Preserve Tomato Passata Safely
In Italy, homemade tomato passata is traditionally prepared at the end of summer and preserved in glass jars or bottles using a boiling-water pasteurization method. This is the method generations of Italian families have used to preserve their tomato harvest for the winter.
Italian food-safety guidelines note that the natural acidity of tomatoes can vary. For homemade passata, sufficiently acidic tomatoes are recommended; if the tomatoes are not acidic enough, lemon juice or citric acid can be added before preserving.
Step 1) - Take a rather large pot, fill it with cold water, then put a kitchen towel on the bottom. Get hold of some glass jars with vacuum seal button lids. Immerse them in the cold water. Turn on the heat and bring the water to a boil. This way you'll sterilize the glass jars.
Step 2) - After about 10 minutes from the boiling, remove them with kitchen tongs (which you left a few minutes immersed in boiling water to sterilize them) and put the jars to cool on a kitchen towel.
Step 3) - Using a funnel, fill the jars with the tomato passata, leaving about 1 cm (½ inch) of space at the top. Wipe the rims clean and close the jars tightly with clean, undamaged lids.
Step 4) - Place a clean kitchen towel on the bottom of a large pot and arrange the jars inside. Wrap or separate the jars with the towel so that they do not knock against each other during boiling.
Cover the jars completely with water and bring to a boil. Use a lid if necessary.
From the moment the water starts to boil:
- 500 ml jars: boil for at least 35 minutes
- 1-liter jars: boil for at least 40 minutes
Nutrition
Calories: 1kcalCarbohydrates: 0.1gProtein: 0.03gFat: 0.01gSaturated Fat: 0.001gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.002gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.001gSodium: 0.1mgPotassium: 7mgFiber: 0.03gSugar: 0.1gVitamin A: 24IUVitamin C: 0.4mgCalcium: 0.3mgIron: 0.01mg
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