what is the point of passata?

[AitchTwoOh]

i bought some ages ago but i go to make a tomatoey thing and always opt for a tin of toms as i like the bits... so will i ever use it?

I use it when I make spag bol. I also use a tin of chopped toms. I think it makes a nice thick sauce, not as watery as chopped toms on their own.

if you run out of tinned toms, yes

Sauce for homemade pizza. Reduce it with some olive oil, tabasco, bit of sugar and oregano. Yum!

I find it moderately pointless, I must admit. And it usually comes in a big jar that's too big for one meal. So half of it stays in the fridge till it goes mouldy then it goes in the bin. Tinned toms for me.

Oh Wino - good to see you - sorry bout disappearing very suddenly from Scrabulous - puter broke - thanks (belatedly) for the games.

More concentrated taste than tinned tomatoes, and no bits for DS2 to whinge about Definitely nicer in a pasta sauce too.

I use it to make sausage cassarole, with garlic, onions and carrots, which I then serve with noodles. YUM

yes
i have pondered this
its a cupboard mistake i think..

lol Quattro - don't worry... I had forgotten we had had scrabulous-interruptus tbh! Next time!

but i like the bits... i think that's why i don't want to use it, i don't really like super-thick italian sauces, i'd rather just cook it longer i think. i don't even much like tomato puree.

I shove it in everything!!! (well not exactly everything)
Spag Boll, Casseroles, Meatballs, Pasta sauce with Garlic and Basil. It is lush I use a full tin/bottle AND 1 tin of toms.
bon apetit [sp?] x

its seasoned isn't it? unlike tin toms

although margotandjerry, you know that if you pour a layer of olive oil onto the passata/puree that will stop it from going mouldy. (and vastly improve the quality of the tom puree imho).

winestein, I started a thread about you, haven't you seen?

Erm... passata is rubbish, yes. Extra-thick Bloody Marys?

see, I don't like the bits in tinned tomatoes and since my blender broke always buy passata now! I guess it's 6 of one, half a dozen of the other...

I use passatta in place if tinned toms cos I dont like them.

Nice suggestion. My local landfill site thanks you

I have often thought the same as op

so what tastes better in a spag bol/lasagne - tinned toms, passata or tomato puree? we usually use puree.

All threads converge after a while ... there was a spag bol thread yesterday ... in which I learned that the key ingredients for an authentic spag bol are

Milk (!!!)
Onions
Beef
Pancetta
White wine (not red)
Celery
Carrots
Tomatoes (a little at the end)

So neither puree nor passata would feature. I have never made spag bol like that, but I'm going to give it a shot. Don't know when to add the milk though.

Puree on its own is too strong, I reckon. I am a non-bit-liker, so passata for me. If I do get tinned tomatoes I seem to get two normal lumps and 73 stalks, yuck. Passata and red wine for a nice ragu. Yum. And a bit of bacon in with the mince.

chuck it in soup?

Best thing about passata imo is that you can use it instead of white sauce (tasty, less faff, healthier). Pasta bake drenched in it, with sprinkle of cheese on top is good.

NOO scrap that - best thing to do with passata: boil brown rice in it (plus chuck in fried onion/garlic/mushroom whatever you fancy) and then use the cooked rice/sauce to stuff peppers - then bake. Lush!

I usually prefer passata to tinned tomatoes, but it has to be good. Mutti is the best, but I'm not sure is available in the UK, or if it is it might be *** expensive. Valfrutta is good too. organic sainsburys passata is fine. I use it for any kind of pasta sauces, sometimes I combine tinned tomatoes and passata

and if you don't like it too think you can always add water while the sauce is cooking.