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I have an American recipe that calls for 12oz Hunts Tomato paste and 1.5 cups of water. The nearest thing I have is Passata.

I don't know much about cooking, but they both seem to be made from tomatoes...is there any way I can use the passata I have in place of the tomato paste? I'm assuming I would reduce the water or completely skip the water - is there a general guideline here?

My instinct is to just throw it in a pot and, if it seems to watery, simmer until it thickens...but I figured I should ask people who know.

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Passata is crushed tomato. Tomato paste is a concentrate of tomato produced by cooking for a long time, removing seeds and skin, and cooking further. They are different products that are going to produce different results, both flavor-wise and in terms of texture. If I were you, I would not add extra water at all, if you are going to use the Passata. I am sure it will be good...it will just be different from the intent of the recipe.

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    Also, in my experience, Hunts Tomato Paste has an aggressive level of salt, so it might be necessary to adjust salt levels in your recipe.
    – JasonTrue
    Apr 22, 2015 at 18:49
  • But just to be clear: As Passata is "weaker", substitute tomato paste and water by Passata or you would change the total amount of liquid in your recipe. Or use even more and simmer down a bit.
    – Stephie ♦
    Apr 22, 2015 at 21:04
  • @Stephie I am not sure I would agree. Because Passata is a different product the end result is going to be different from the original recipe. Of course, the original recipe would be helpful, but I would NOT add any water. Why add water, just to evaporate it off?
    – moscafj
    Apr 22, 2015 at 22:56
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    Neither would I add water! Perhaps add more Passata than the original (paste + water) amount of "liquid" and simmer down to concentrate the flavour and thicken a bit. Sorry if I was unclear in my comment.
    – Stephie ♦
    Apr 23, 2015 at 4:40
  • @Stephie ...ahh, got it.
    – moscafj
    Apr 23, 2015 at 10:46

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