It’s nearly time to make passata. These are the first tomatoes my mum collected to make tomato sauce. Like her, many Italian mamma’s will be very busy soon making loads of passata to store for the winter months to come.

Passata di pomodoro is made from ripe tomatoes which have been puréed and “passed” through a sieve to remove the skin and seeds. It is then stored in jars and boiled for 10 minutes and that will create a vacuum seal and allow the passata to last for a long time. Passata should not be confused with tomato puree which has a thicker consistency and is made by cooking and straining the tomatoes. Passata is less thick and can be used as a sauce for pasta whereas tomato puree is used for adding a touch of colour and flavour to many dishes.

To make a more tasty pasta sauce you can add fresh basil leaves, celery, carrots and a pinch of salt. The taste of a freshly made sauce is completely different to any sauce you can buy in shops; even the organic passata, which should have nothing added, never tastes quite the same.
This is what your fresh home products can do for you!