How long does it usually keep?
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Passata keeps a week or more in my fridge after opening, whether packaged in a carton or jar. If it’s in a carton, I clip or tape that closed. I believe that it’s kept well for me due to the acidity.
Also I‘m enjoying tomato polpa even more than passata now that my regular grocery store started carrying it. Polpa has a thicker texture than passata, which works in most dishes I make.
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I don’t make or eat pasta at home, so I had no opinion on sauce for a long time. Then I got addicted to this meatball recipe, and made it so much that I decided it was OK to buy, not make, the sauce that the recipe calls for.
I fell for Dave’s Gourmet red heirloom, and hard. And it’s pricey. And availability is spotty. But DAMN is it good. Whenever I’d bring the meatballs to dinner parties, people would rave about the sauce.
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I’ve been using jarred sauces in my stuffed eggplant and moussaka.
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Thanks for the mention of Dave’s Gourmet red heirloom sauce – my grocery store carries it and (as shown online at least) the sodium / salt level looks VERY reasonable. It’s even “on sale” this week for only 2x what I usually pay. Worth a try.
Curious what you think! I’m pleasantly surprised about the sodium level!
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anyone looking for a new handbag?
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I used to doctor jarred sauces routinely. Since I discovered how fun and tasty it is to squish canned San Marzanos (Cento or Mutti, usually) in my fingers, I now make all of my tomato sauces that way. Sometimes I use a soffrito, sometimes a bit of Cento tomato paste, sometimes a splash of wine, sometimes herbs, sometimes pepperoncino, and always butter or olive oil. Except for making a soffrito first, I find it as quick as a jarred sauce. Sorry this post is repetitious, but I really encourage even the most harried user of jarred sauces to give it a go.
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Agreed… but you do need a little time to saute veggies, cook wine off, etc., so not quite so instantaneous as jarred.
But I love Cento, and really like the fact the paste comes in tubes.
Not long ago I had to buy another brand in a pinch (one that was highly rated on a number of sites/YT channels) and was really surprised how “meh” it was compared to the Cento brand.
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I get Mutti in tubes. Love the tube instead of a can.
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I like just tomatoes, a bit of herb, a grind or two of pepper, a splash of white wine, and finish with butter. I add a squirt of tomato paste, Cento or Mutti, if I want it a little richer.
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I have liked every Cento product I have tried. Their hoagie spread made from hot red cherry peppers is great. Their cannellini and cece are staples, as are their artichoke hearts. I am also a fan of Mezzetta.
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Me too… olives, peppers, sauce, etc.
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I haven’t noted Mid’s nor Victoria mentioned here. Mid’s is good for the low price. Victoria is plain old good, for jarred pasta red sauce.
Still, I tend to make my own, but that’s simple for me to say, because I always have garlic and some decent olive oil and fresh herbs around. We all know you can make a bang-up sauce with that stuff in less than 15 minutes. But I can sympathize with those who can’t or won’t shop and therefore don’t always have worthy primal ingredients and even tools on hand, and maybe not even 10-15 minutes of mental energy to spare. Just boiling water and microwaving some sauce fills the bill there. I just hope there’s at least some decent Parm to grate…
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Try Ragu Chunky Style.
I used this Midnight Sauce on an eggplant parm this week . It’s a little more of a condiment or a hot sauce than a pasta sauce, but we like it. There are some recipes online using it on pasta.
Available at Eataly in Toronto.
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Whatttttttt.
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Well, there’s another brand that’ll be shot all to hell once Campbell’s gets their hands on it and inevitably changes it.
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Anchor Brewing even says WTF!
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