What Is Tomato purée (passata) and How Can I Use It?

Tomato purée (passata) rewards a little know-how: how to choose it, cook it, store it, and substitute in a pinch. Browse 182 recipes to cook with it.

What is tomato purée (passata)?

Tomato purée, sometimes know as "Passata" is a thick paste that is made from strained tomatoes and especially used in Italian cooking.

The definitions of tomato purée vary between regions. In the USA, tomato purée is a processed food product, usually consisting of only tomatoes, but can also be found in pre-seasoned form. It differs from tomato sauce or tomato paste in consistency and content. Tomato puree generally lacks the additives common to a complete tomato sauce, and does not have the thicknesss of paste.

To prepare tomato purée, ripe tomatoes are washed and the leaves and stem are removed. Some processors remove the skin of the tomato as well. This is then mashed or mechanically chopped to the desired consistency.

Tomato purée can be used in soups, stews, sauces, or any other dish where the tomato flavor is desired, but not the texture. It is often deprecated by professional chefs, who find it to have an overly cooked flavor compared to other forms of canned tomatoes. This is sometimes a non-issue, as in long-cooked dishes, but in quick sauces such as a marinara sauce it is undesirable.

Quick facts

Where to find tomato purée (passata): Tomato purée (passata) is usually found in the canned goods section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.

In Chinese: 番茄酱（passata）
British (UK) term: Tomato purée (passata)
en français: purée de tomates
en español: pure de tomate

Recipes using tomato purée (passata)

There are 182 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Andy's Murgh Kurma (Chicken Curry)

Andy's murgh kurma: Indian chicken curry with a yogurt marinade, whole cardamom and cloves, and a deeply spiced tomato sauce. Serve with rice and chapati for a fragrant home-cooked dinner.

Vegan Sour Cream-Eggplant Meatballs

Moist and Delicious These Vegan Sour Cream-Eggplant Meatballs Are Great Tasting In My Homemade Sauce!! ..Topped Over A Bed Of Spaghetti Pasta!

Easy Meatballs in Sauce

Easy meatballs simmered in a quick tangy tomato sauce of puree, onion, vinegar, and oregano, then spooned over rice or pasta. A simple stovetop dinner that comes together in under an hour.

Remember the Alamo Chili

Remember the Alamo Chili: a hearty Texas-style ground beef chili built on fresh hot chilies, garlic, cumin and citrusy Mexican oregano in a rich tomato base. Add beans if you must, and finish with a cool spoonful of sour cream.

Dal Makhnai

Dal makhani or maa di dal, as it is popularly known in the punjab, with its smooth velvety texture and lovely flavour is a delicacy that is very much a dish of the punjab. Every punjabi restaurant, roadside eating place and food stall vendor makes the claim that this is a delicacy that they alone can make to perfection. This my own tested recipe dare i claim it as the best? dal makhani is traditionally cooked on a low flame overnight and allowed to thicken. Using a pressure cooker helps cook the dal in a jiffy. Serve hot with naans.

Middle Eastern Kebabs

Middle Eastern lamb kebabs (kofta) blend ground lamb with garlic, ginger, cumin, mint, and parsley before grilling on skewers. Serve with pita, salad, and yogurt for an authentic mezze dinner.

Mom's Chocolate Chili

Beef chili with kidney beans, tomato puree, green chiles and a finishing stir of bittersweet chocolate. Mole-inspired depth from cocoa balances the heat. A 1-hour one-pot weeknight dinner.

Spicy Tripe & Beans

Completely different recipe than Jamaican or Spanish ones. I used few known methods to make beans easier to digest. They all work very well not to make music.

Savory Tortilla Soup

This soup came out so tasty and flavorful. The pan-fried tortilla strips added some nice crunch, and I also served the soup with some sour cream, Monterey Jack cheese, cilantro and scallions. It was an easy, light yet tasty soup.

Artichoke, Spinach & Lemon Pizza

Everyone loves pizza, in this recipe we put marinated artichoke hearts, cooked fresh baby spinach leaves, freshly grated lemon zest and mozzarella cheese together, amazing taste, not only just for vegetarian, everyone loves it!

Chicken Tikka Masala (Main)

Traditional Indian dish of roasted chunks of chicken in a spicy sauce. The chicken is a very good source of lean protein, while the sauce provides important nutrients such as vitamins A and C as well as calcium.

Baked Butter Chicken

Similar to Chicken Tikka Masala this traditional Indian butter chicken recipe is one of the most popular curries at any Indian restaurant around the world. Butter Chicken is quite easy to make.

Power Kale Soup

This delicious vegetable soup can help you use your left-over Parmesan rinds and your leftover bread, with several fresh vegetables under a low temperature cooking, the soup is just flavorful.

Chicken Cacciatore#2

Flour-dusted chicken pieces browned in butter, then simmered with mushrooms, olives, garlic, tomato purée, and sherry. A classic Italian cacciatore that's on the table in 40 minutes.

Colorful Vegetable Bread

Stunning braided vegetable bread made from three colorful doughs: tomato red, spinach green, and beetroot pink. A showpiece loaf that's as fun to bake as it is to eat.

Renaissance Pizza

Renaissance pizza layers a slow-simmered carrot-onion tomato sauce with sauteed broccoli, cauliflower, and mushrooms on a rectangular cake-flour crust. Fully vegetarian.

Italian Pot Roast

If you're tired of making the same old dinner with the same old taste, then you have to try this succulent pot roast!

Cumin Chicken in Jalapeno Tomato Peanut Sauce

Cumin Peanut Chicken in Jalapeno Tomato Sauce recipe

Spicy Chicken or Nutty Noodles.

Curried chicken noodle stir-fry with fresh ginger, garlic, bean sprouts, soy sauce, and dried red chili. A 30-minute wok dinner that turns leftover chicken into something crave-worthy.

Honey-Orange Lamb

Butterflied leg of lamb marinated 12 hours in honey, orange juice, Pinot Noir, soy sauce, and garlic, then grilled until pink inside. Bold, sweet-savory marinade.

Neopolitan Ziti

Neopolitan ziti tossed with hot Italian sausage, sauteed bell peppers, plum tomato marinara, and fresh basil. A rustic southern Italian weeknight plate from the sausage-and-peppers tradition.

Eggplant Caponata

Sicilian eggplant caponata, a sweet-and-sour relish of roasted eggplant, onion, celery, tomato, capers, and raisins. Vegetarian, low-fat, and a classic Mediterranean antipasto.

Italian Sausage Stuffed Shrimp

Italian sausage stuffed shrimp with vegetables and homemade seasoning blend. Large butterflied shrimp topped with spicy sausage stuffing and baked until golden.

Vegetable Jalfrasie

You will love this tasty side dish that is full of vegetables like broccoli florets, cauliflower and green bell peppers.

Sour Butter Beans

Creamy blended butter beans meet tangy soy yogurt and fresh vegetables in this hearty vegan stew. Ready in 40 minutes, loaded with broccoli, zucchini, tomatoes, and corn.

Pasta with Chunky Tomato Sauce

Vegetarian chunky tomato pasta sauce loaded with mushrooms, celery, and bell pepper, simmered with fresh tomatoes and herbs. Oil-free option available. Ready in under an hour.

Thai Spicy Noodles

A Pad Thai-style stir fry with rice noodles, chicken, shrimp, tofu, eggs, and bean sprouts in a tangy fish sauce and lime glaze, loaded with crushed peanuts. Spicy, sour, and deeply savory.

Tuna Pasta Bake

British-style tuna pasta bake layered with sweetcorn, peas, tomatoes, and mushroom soup, topped with cheddar and golden anchovy puff pastry spirals. A proper crowd-pleasing family supper.

Baked Samosa Logs with Fruit-Sweetened Tomato Ch

Baked vegetarian samosa logs wrapped in whole-wheat chapatis and stuffed with curried cauliflower, peas, coconut, and cilantro. Paired with a ginger-spiked tomato chutney sweetened with grape juice.

Torta Expanola (Spanish Omelet)

Fluffy Spanish-style omelets filled with a simmered tomato and green pepper sauce, then rolled and drenched in the remaining salsa. A vibrant, satisfying egg dish ready in 30 minutes.

Southwestern Style Swine Stoup

A little to hearty to be called a soup, this recipe is a great way to use left over pulled pork. Such a crowd pleaser, I can't keep it in my house! Great eaten with crackers or your favorite tortilla chips.

Beef Stew (Aaronson's)

A hearty Dutch oven beef stew with seared chuck, red wine, tomatoes, new potatoes, green beans, peas, and carrots simmered low and slow for two hours. No shortcuts, just real stew.

Warm Tomato Vinaigrette

Warm tomato vinaigrette with passata, herbed white wine vinegar, olive oil, and fresh parsley. A 4-ingredient sauce for grilled fish, chicken, pasta, or salads.

Chicken Blackberry Vinegar

Blackberry vinegar chicken with a rich and flavourful demiglace. Great for a special occasion.

Baked Potato with Curried Mushrooms

Baked potato with curried mushrooms, tomato puree, yogurt, and fresh mint. A vegetarian loaded baked potato with an Indian-spiced filling that's light enough for a weeknight meal.

Red Snapper Veracruz Style

Red snapper Veracruz with pan-fried fillets in a tomato-olive sauce spiked with cinnamon, cloves, lime, and jalapeno, served over new potatoes. A classic Mexican coastal dish with warm spice and tangy brine.

Venison Grillades

Louisiana-style grillades made with grilled venison simmered in a dark roux gravy loaded with the holy trinity, red wine, and three kinds of tomatoes. Serve it over creamy grits, cher.

Barbequed Chicken with Citrussy Chargrilled Spring Onions

Barbecued chicken in a fiery citrus marinade of orange juice, scotch bonnet, garlic, and cilantro, grilled until crisp and served with lime-dressed chargrilled spring onions. Pile it into a wrap.

Avocado Veggie Burgers

Avocado veggie burgers blended from creamy avocado, cooked soybeans, onion, and mustard, then bound with whole wheat breadcrumbs and pan-fried until golden. Vegan and high-protein.

Calamaria Parayemista

Calamaria Parayemista, Greek stuffed squid filled with spiced rice, tomato puree, cinnamon, and cloves, then braised in white wine. A traditional Greek mezze appetizer.

Mild Curry Base

British Indian Restaurant style mild curry base with ghee, garlic, curry paste, and curry gravy. The fast home cook's foundation for making takeaway-style curries in 15 minutes.

Diet Shrimp Bisque

Low-calorie shrimp bisque made from a homemade shell stock with saffron, white wine, and cognac. Rich and creamy using powdered milk instead of heavy cream.

Yam Chili

Yam chili with smashed canned yams, dried beans, tomato puree, barbecue sauce, chili powder, and cinnamon. A hearty vegetarian chili with natural sweetness from the yams.

Lasagna of Greens & Lemon

Vegetarian lasagna layered with Swiss chard, kale, mustard greens, ricotta, goat cheese, and bright lemon zest. A lighter, garden-fresh twist on classic Italian lasagna.

Loren Martin's Spiced Pot Roast

Spiced pot roast marinated in a blended paste of cumin, turmeric, ginger, rosemary, French mustard, poppy seeds, and lemon. Braised tender on the stovetop or in a slow cooker.

Deviled Halibut

Deviled halibut: garlic-marinated fillets coated in sharp cheddar and breadcrumbs, baked golden, and served with a curry-spiked tomato sauce. Bold Anglo-Indian fish dinner.

Tipsy Lamb 'N' Ginger

Lamb steaks braised in dry apple cider with crystallized ginger, English mustard, apple, and yogurt. A British-style casserole with a sweet-sharp sauce and tender, fall-apart meat.

Kalamaria Parayemista

Kalamaria Parayemista: Greek stuffed squid filled with cinnamon-spiced rice, tomato, and chopped tentacles, then braised in white wine until tender. A traditional Greek meze.

Sweet'N' Sour Salmon Nuggets

Microwave sweet and sour salmon nuggets poached in sherry stock, glazed with pineapple, apple juice, ginger, and tomato sauce. Light, low-fat fish bites served over rice or noodles.

Ovenbaked Southern Pork Loin

Oven-baked bone-in pork loin basted with a tangy-sweet sauce of tomato puree, apple cider vinegar, and molasses. A simple Southern-style roast with a sticky, caramelized glaze.

All 182 recipes