You are not alone! Even though these two pantry staples are identical, they have different properties that can significantly impact your recipes.
To make tasty and flavourful dishes, be it at home or in a professional kitchen, it’s very important to know the difference between tomato puree and tomato sauce.
In this blog post, we will learn about tomato puree vs tomato sauce in depth and will discuss their production method and special features of each and the recipes, which will clear your confusion on when to use each one.
What is Tomato Puree?
Tomato puree is a thick, smooth mixture that is prepared when tomatoes are cooked for a limited time and then strained from seeds and skins.
It’s a great base for soups, stews, or sauces owing to its thickness, thereby concentrated tomato flavour.
It is often unsalted and unseasoned; it gives you cooking flexibility because you may add herbs or spices to make it your own.
For recipes where the required medium consistency falls between thicker than tomato juice and thinner than paste, this achieves the perfect balance.
Key characteristics
- Texture: It has an applesauce-like texture and is mushy and pulpy.
- Flavour: It has a strong flavour of tomato that is oftentimes described as crisp and fresh.
- Acidity: It is less acidic than tomato sauce.
- Thickness: Its thickness is less compared to tomato sauce but greater than tomato juice.
- Ingredients: Basically, made from crushed tomatoes. Only a small amount of salt and spices are added.
What is Tomato Sauce?
A ready-to-use condiment, tomato sauce is a cooked tomato that has been crushed or pureed and seasoned with herbs, spices, and sometimes additional ingredients such as sugar, onions, or garlic.
It is commonly used alone in recipes for pasta and pizza and is also thinner than tomato puree.
Tomato sauce differs from puree since it is pre-seasoned and ready to use in a dish directly.
Its flavour is more complex due to the added flavour and cooking process.
Key characteristics
- Texture: It is generally a bit runny but thicker and smoother than tomato puree.
- Flavour: It has a rich flavour that is often enhanced by herbs, spices, and sometimes other vegetables such as garlic and onions.
- Thickness: It is thinner than tomato puree and thick enough to cover pasta and other dishes.
- Ingredients: It is made from cooked tomatoes, and it is often flavoured by blending it with herbs, spices, and other ingredients.
Production Method: Tomato puree vs Tomato Sauce
Tomato puree
The process of making tomato puree begins with choosing high-quality, ripe tomatoes, typically plum or Roma varieties that boast low water content and depth of flavour.
After selection, the tomatoes are cleaned, their stems are removed, and they are boiled until they are soft and tender to allow the natural sugars inside to come out and to dissolve their cellular structure.
Once the tomatoes have been cooked, they’re passed through a food mill or fine strainer, which efficiently removes the seeds and skin and leaves behind a uniformly smooth base.
This smooth paste is boiled down gradually throughout a long reduction process, and the strained tomato mixture creates a thick and highly flavourful paste of pureed tomatoes.
By reducing the moisture content, it leaves behind a thick and highly flavourful tomato puree.
Tomato sauce
The process of making tomato sauce with Ripe tomatoes that are boiled and broken down
The main difference between the production methods of tomato sauce and tomato puree lies in the following steps:
Tomato sauce makers use a range of seasonings to improve the flavour profile rather than filtering out all the particles.
It typically includes salt, sliced onions, minced garlic, aromatic herbs like oregano and basil, and a little olive oil.
The reduction process is far less intensive than that of tomato puree, and the result is a more liquid-consistency tomato sauce that can be used right away.
When To Use Tomato Puree
Tomato puree is commonly used when you want a strong, intense tomato flavour without having to add extra ingredients since it allows you to tailor the recipe to your taste.
Its thicker consistency makes it a great base for curries, soups, and stews, adding a meaty feel.
As it blends well with other ingredients, it is excellent for making homemade pizza sauce and pasta sauce.
Tomato puree is less tangy and salty compared to tomato sauce; it is the best option for recipes that require a more subtle, natural tomato flavour.
When To Use Tomato Sauce
Tomato sauce is smooth and seasoned, which makes it ideal for a variety of quick recipes where you can save time on preparation and seasoning.
It can be used as a base for baked ziti, lasagna, and spaghetti. and it is ideal for adding flavour to soups and stews, as well as for using as a dipping sauce for snacks like mozzarella sticks and pizza toppings.
It can also be used in dishes like chilli, casseroles, and curries that require a savoury, somewhat tart tomato flavour.
Recipe Section
Tomato Puree Shakshuka
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of tomato puree
- Four large eggs
- one chopped medium onion
- two garlic cloves
- One chopped bell pepper
- Two teaspoons of olive oil
- One teaspoon of cumin
- One teaspoon of paprika
- salt and pepper
- fresh cilantro or parsley
Recipe
To prepare shakshuka with tomato puree in a large skillet, heat the olive oil, and for five minutes, sauté the bell pepper and onions until they are softer. After a minute, add the paprika, cumin, and garlic and simmer. After adding the tomato puree, boil it for five minutes.
Make four wells in the sauce after all the ingredients have been thoroughly combined. Crack eggs into each well. Garnish with fresh herbs and cook, covered, until eggs are set, 5 to 7 minutes. Warm it up and serve it with bread.
Quick tomato sauce pasta
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of tomato sauce
- One pound of pasta (penne)
- Two teaspoons of olive oil
- Two minced garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, grated
- Fresh basil leaves
- Salt and pepper.
- Red pepper flakes: optional
Recipe
To make a quick tomato sauce pasta, start by cooking pasta in salted water as directed on the package to make quick tomato sauce pasta.
Warm up some olive oil in a different pan. Sauté the garlic for a short while. Add the tomato sauce and let it simmer for five minutes.
When the pasta is cooked to perfection, toss it in the sauce to coat it.
If necessary, thin the sauce with pasta water. Garnish with basil and pepper and Parmesan cheese and serve right away.
Conclusion
Tomato puree vs tomato sauce can have a significant effect on the texture and flavour of a dish. While both products are made with tomatoes, they differ because of their different characteristics.
Tomato puree is one versatile ingredient that could be used in soups, stews, or sauces and which gives thick, intense flavours you can enhance the flavour by adding the seasoning of your choice in tomato puree because it is not seasoned However, tomato sauce is already seasoned, easy to use, and is ready for pizza, spaghetti, or any food for that matter.
Let your culinary imagination run wild the next time you’re in the kitchen and remember the power of these two tomato-based products!