Tomato Paste

Made by cooking tomatoes for hours to eliminate excess water and reduce them into a thick rich concentrate. Artisan tomato paste was traditionally made in Sicily and Southern Italy by spreading reduced tomato sauce on wooden boards set outdoors under the hot August sun to dry into a paste thick enough to be scraped up and held together into a richly colored dark ball. Although thinner than traditional Italian tomato paste, commercial tomato paste became widely available in the the 20th century. Alishan's tomato paste is six times the regular flavor of tomatoes in one handy jar. Add nuance and body to everything from pasta, soups, stews, sauces, curries and casseroles. Chefs recommend letting tomato paste “brown” in the pan and sautéing it with spices and onions to boost flavor.