The tradition of sun-ripening ripe tomatoes originated in the Mediterranean, where tomatoes are used everywhere. That tomato paste is the basis for traditional Italian dishes and a variety of sauces to them.
What is the difference between tomato paste and tomato sauce?
High-quality tomato paste is a basic natural product from which you can prepare a variety of delicious sauces, from classic tomato to original national ones. To do this, the paste is diluted, added to it spices, vegetables, wine.
The content of soluble solids in the industrial paste should be in the range from 25 to 40%.
The composition of a good pasta includes only tomatoes. Everything. The remaining options with starch, taste stabilizers and dyes should not be used.
How to choose a quality product? Pay attention to the composition and color. Good pasta is red, it contains vitamins. The faded dark paste pasteurized for a long time, therefore it lost its brightness. Long-term heat treatment could be needed only for the preservation of not quite fresh tomatoes. Only one conclusion - choose a bright and natural.
How To Make Tomato Pasta Sauce For Pasta And Spaghetti
Of the existing family of sauces, it is tomato that is the most versatile, it goes well with fish, meat, cheeses, various vegetables and seafood. In various cuisines of the world, this sauce is necessarily present, it is very different (sweet, sour, fiery - spicy), thanks to the original combination of local spices, herbs.
Let's start with the classic sauce, which can be recommended for spaghetti, or other varieties of pasta. You will need the following products:
- 200 g of tomato paste;
- 70 grams of vegetable oil (preferably olive oil);
- 1 medium onion;
- 1 large bell pepper;
- 1 carrot;
- 1 parsley root;
- 250 ml of broth;
- 25 grams of wheat flour;
- 20 g dry adzhika.
Vegetables clean, wash. Thinly chop the half-rings Bulgarian pepper and onions; grate carrots and root parsley. We heat up a heavy frying pan, fry onions in vegetable oil to transparency, pour out a spoonful of flour, mix well.
For 2 - 3 minutes, the flour should get sandy color, the onion will turn golden. Then add carrots and parsley. After a couple of minutes, mix everything, add pepper, fry vegetables on medium heat for another couple of minutes.
Add tomato paste to the pan, gradually dissolve it with hot meat broth, add dry adjika. Gently mix, cover with a lid and leave to languish for at least five minutes. The sauce is prepared for 20 minutes, it is enough to fill 2 servings of spaghetti, the caloric content of the finished dish is 225 kcal.
Tuscan Italian Pasta with Tomato Sauce for Lunch
Gourmet lunch with a delicate taste is easily cooked in 40 minutes, its calorie content is 245 kcal. Ingredients (for 2 servings):
- 150 grams of tomato paste;
- 200 g of noodles (fettuccine, spaghetti or capellini);
- 70 g of extra virgin olive oil;
- 300 g of feta cheese;
- 200 g Parmesan cheese;
- 1 small zucchini (up to 200 g);
- 2 ripe tomatoes (about 400 g);
- 30 g red basil (2 twigs);
- 2 garlic cloves;
- 70 g cream.
First, put on the fire a wide pot of water for pasta. As long as the water boils - let's get to the gas station, everything will be prepared at the same time. Shred diced zucchini. We first blanch the tomatoes, remove the skin and the hard part near the tail, cut into flat slices. Peel the garlic, wash and dry the herbs.
In a heavy frying pan, pour the extra virgin olive oil, set on low heat, add crushed garlic. We heat the garlic in oil for 3 - 4 minutes, then increase the gas, add and fry the zucchini.
First dissolve the tomato with a glass of boiling water, stir, then gently pour into the pan with vegetables. Add fresh tomato slices. Protome 5 minutes, add cream, bring to a boil again, then remove from heat.
Boil the pasta in salted water to the state of al dente (per tooth). Throw in a colander, spread to the sauce and mix. Cut the feta cheese into small cubes, rub the parmesan on a fine grater.
Put the hot pasta with tomato sauce on a la carte plates, serve with diced feta, decorate with basil leaves and sprinkle with sharp cheese (grana or parmesan).
Shrimp paste in tomato sauce
In the tradition of the Mediterranean, seafood and fish are prepared where they are caught. This paste is prepared 35 minutes, calorie 230 kcal. For cooking you will need (for 2 servings):
- 200 g pasta (tagliatelle or spaghetti);
- 350 g fresh shrimp;
- 70 g of olive oil;
- 70 g fresh fish broth;
- 150 g of ordinary white wine;
- 15 g hot red pepper;
- 70 g parsley;
- 25 g of salt;
- 3 garlic cloves;
- 170 g of tomato paste.
Chopped garlic is ground in a blender (or chopped very finely), add the butter, put it in a thick-walled frying pan. At the same time put water for spaghetti on fire. As soon as the water boils, we drop the pasta, cook them until half cooked, discard them in a colander.
Heat the oil with chopped garlic and basil over medium heat, add pepper, salt. Throw peeled shrimps, quickly fry from both sides to pink color (about 2 minutes). Shrimp out and temporarily set aside.
Put the tomato in the pan, dilute it with broth, pour the wine, mix thoroughly. Leave the sauce to simmer on low heat for about 5 minutes. Add the finished pasta to the gravy, mix and add the shrimp. Finely chop the parsley. We spread the pasta on a la carte plates, decorate with fresh greens, serve to the table.
Recipes for pizza sauces, cutlets, kebabs
Delicious, simple sauce for grilled meat, poultry, Bavarian sausages, pizza and all your favorite meatballs, easy to quick-cook from a concentrated tomato. For different dishes make a sauce of different texture.
- For Italian pizza. The sauce should be thick, traditionally spicy. Dissolve 3 tablespoons of tomato 2 tablespoons of boiling water, add a pinch of salt and sugar, put on a low heat, bring to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon dry mix "Italian herbs" and a pinch of black pepper, boil over low heat for 5 minutes, cool.
- For kebabs. Dissolve 1 × 1 3 tablespoons of tomato with boiling water, boil over low heat. Add 2 tablespoons of homemade adzhika, 1/4 teaspoon of flakes of red pepper (without seeds) and 1/4 teaspoon of dry coriander. Boil stirring for another 5 minutes, cool the mixture. Chop 150g of fresh cilantro, mix the herbs with the cooled sauce.
- To chopped meatballs. Dilute 3 tablespoons of tomato with boiling water 1 × 1, bring to a boil and cook over low heat. Add a pinch of salt, sugar and ground black pepper. Chop thin white leek and one celery stalk. Add to tomato and boil on low heat for 5 minutes, cool.
Culinary tips
Little culinary tricks will help in preparing excellent pasta:
- add garlic to the oil at room temperature, do not heat the pan to the maximum;
- add a spoonful of olive oil to the water, where the pasta is cooked - it will turn out very smooth and tasty;
- do not wash spaghetti with cold water, otherwise they do not hold the sauce well;
- dilute tomato paste with boiling water, heartburn will not, even if the sauce is hot enough;
- use sea salt instead of cooking, it will turn out very tasty.
Enjoy your meal!
In the next video - another recipe for tomato sauce.
