Okay, so the other day I was making a big pot of chili, and I realized I was completely out of tomato passata. Usually, that’s my go-to for a smooth, rich base, but the cupboard was bare. Panic! But then I thought, “Hey, I’m a resourceful cook, I can figure this out.”
Finding the Perfect Substitute
First, I rummaged through my pantry. I found a can of crushed tomatoes and a can of tomato sauce. Either of these could work, but they weren’t quite the same. Passata is strained, so it’s thicker and less watery than sauce, and smoother than crushed tomatoes.
I decided to get creative. I poured the can of crushed tomatoes into my blender. I figured I could just blitz them up to get a smoother texture.
- I pulsed the blender a few times, being careful not to overdo it. I didn’t want tomato soup!
- I checked the consistency. It was still a little chunky, so I added about half the can of tomato sauce to thin it out a bit and add some extra flavor.
- Another quick pulse in the blender, and… much better!
It wasn’t the color or thickness that the store bought passata is, but it was definitely smoother than just crushed tomatoes, and richer than just tomato sauce. It was a pretty good makeshift passata!
The Chili Test
I added my homemade “passata” to the chili pot, and stirred it in. I let it simmer for a while, and honestly, it worked out great! The chili had a fantastic flavor, and you wouldn’t have known I didn’t use the real deal.
So, lesson learned: Don’t freak out if you’re out of an ingredient. Get creative with what you have, and you might be surprised at the results! Blending crushed tomatoes with a little tomato sauce totally saved my chili night.
Post Comment