Ingredient help - tomato sauce

Sudden · 3 Mar 2012 at 13:10

One of the dishes i'm looking to make calls for tomato sauce. For this, I have always been using this -
http://www.hunts.com/products/tomatoes/tomato-sauce

Getting it however is a slight pain as I have to go a bit out of my way.

Are there any other alternatives that i'm just not aware of? Is tomato puree for instance the same thing as this and its just an american term difference thing?

Kanifee · 3 Mar 2012 at 13:30

Is this just not passata?

Sudden · 3 Mar 2012 at 13:33

No idea. Never used passata before so have no clue if it's the same. If it is, that would be great since I can pick that up a lot more easily.

Hxc · 3 Mar 2012 at 13:37

Passata will do you for a tomato sauce... I've never seen that stuff you use before!

mangobreeder · 3 Mar 2012 at 13:48

its passata

Van Hellseek · 3 Mar 2012 at 18:30

Definately not passata since it's...

simmered with salt, spices, and natural flavors for seasoning

Hence making it a sauce.

But making your own basic tomato sauce is a piece of cake, and would be fine as an alternative:

Fry up some garlic & onion, then add tinned chopped tomatos, pinch of dried basil and a tablespoon of tomato puree (plus a generous pinch of salt and pepper). Simmer it off for 20 mins or so. Blend, then in the fridge it goes (after cooling).

/\ The above can also be used unblended as a basic pasta sauce, or blended as a pizza sauce.

Sudden · 3 Mar 2012 at 18:59

Yea, found that out

Got passata and made the dish with it. It's allright, but not quite as flavourful and thick as it normally is.

Thanks for the recipe though! Might consider if when I have a bit of time.

Buchanan0204 · 3 Mar 2012 at 23:16

Van Hellseek said:
Definately not passata since it's...

Hence making it a sauce.

But making your own basic tomato sauce is a piece of cake, and would be fine as an alternative:

Fry up some garlic & onion, then add tinned chopped tomatos, pinch of dried basil and a tablespoon of tomato puree (plus a generous pinch of salt and pepper). Simmer it off for 20 mins or so. Blend, then in the fridge it goes (after cooling).

/\ The above can also be used unblended as a basic pasta sauce, or blended as a pizza sauce.

Dried basil? Isn't that frowned upon... I personally think it's pretty rank.

Van Hellseek · 4 Mar 2012 at 00:21

Buchanan0204 said:
Dried basil? Isn't that frowned upon...

You wouldn't usually bother with fresh basil when making a tomato sauce based around tinned tomatoes. If you don't like it then leave it out or substitute it with whatever you do like. Simples.

Anyway, it's not supposed to be a 'gourmet recipe'. It's just a quick/easy/cheap method of making a tomato sauce, to save the OP having to order it in cans from the USA.

Buchanan0204 · 5 Mar 2012 at 22:30

Van Hellseek said:
You wouldn't usually bother with fresh basil when making a tomato sauce based around tinned tomatoes. If you don't like it then leave it out or substitute it with whatever you do like. Simples.

Anyway, it's not supposed to be a 'gourmet recipe'. It's just a quick/easy/cheap method of making a tomato sauce, to save the OP having to order it in cans from the USA.

Nothing wrong with tinned tomatoes, it's not seen as a shortcut these days. It's just as easy to tear up fresh basil leaves as it is to sprinkle the stuff from a jar.

Dried herbs are a major no no in my eyes and Jamies

He also uses tinned tomatoes.

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/vegetarian-recipes/the-quickest-tomato-sauce

Van Hellseek · 5 Mar 2012 at 22:57

Yes, but unlike Jamie Oliver, I think the OP isn't likely to have fresh basil to hand. I reckon he's much more likely to find some dried basil on his mums spice rack though.

/\ Somehow that sounded a little like an innuendo. Definitely not meant that way though.

Jolteh · 5 Mar 2012 at 23:09

I classify dried herbs into three categories:

Ones that are better dried (eg. bay and oregano)
Ones that are decent substitute dried (eg. rosemary and thyme)
Ones that are a waste of time dried (eg. basil and coriander leaf)

I'd rather go without than use dried basil, it smells like tea.

Van Hellseek · 5 Mar 2012 at 23:15

Revised recipe:

Fry up some garlic & onion, then add tinned chopped tomatoes, pinch of whatever dried/fresh herb(s) you like, and a tablespoon of tomato puree (plus a generous pinch of salt and pepper). Simmer it off for 20 mins or so. Blend, then in the fridge it goes (after cooling).

Jolteh · 5 Mar 2012 at 23:19

*high fives*

Glaucus · 5 Mar 2012 at 23:24

If you like that one, just look on the side for what ingredients it has. Then just use those spices/herbs.

Buchanan0204 · 5 Mar 2012 at 23:29

Jolteh said:
I classify dried herbs into three categories:

Ones that are better dried (eg. bay and oregano)
Ones that are decent substitute dried (eg. rosemary and thyme)
Ones that are a waste of time dried (eg. basil and coriander leaf)

I'd rather go without than use dried basil, it smells like tea.

Tea, haha.

glitch · 12 Mar 2012 at 00:08

Sudden said:
One of the dishes i'm looking to make calls for tomato sauce. For this, I have always been using this -
http://www.hunts.com/products/tomatoes/tomato-sauce

Where in London are you? There are plenty of places selling Hunts sauce and paste that import from America, let alone all the sellers on Amazon and eBay.

Kanifee said:
Is this just not passata?

No. It's more like a cross between double-concentrated tomato paste and passata.

Weird stuff, but amazingly tasty.

Glaucus said:
If you like that one, just look on the side for what ingredients it has. Then just use those spices/herbs.

You won't really get close to the taste of Hunts - it's a quintessentially American product and has that 'secret' blend of spices you seem to find in a large number of products over there.