Turning tomato puree into sauce?

[Julio]

Hello,

I'm going to make pasta amatriciana and the recipe calls for crushed tomato sauce but i got tomato puree.

I was wondering what's the difference between the two tomato puree and tomato sauce?

 

[justplainbill]

Canned Sauce is typically more watery and contains spices and other flavorings.

 

[Andy M.]

The difference is mostly one of texture. You can use the puree in place of the canned tomato sauce.

 

[Robo410]

the puree may be thicker, it will be smoother.

 

[jabbur]

When I read crushed tomato sauce, I think of a sauce that has little pieces of tomato to make it chunkier where a puree is thick and smooth. You should be able to substitute one for the other without much problem but be aware the texture will be different.

 

[Selkie]

The only relationship between puree and sauce is that they both come from tomatoes. Any other similarities end there.

Puree lacks any of the spices generally found in sauce, and needs water or better yet, chicken broth added. Find a tomato sauce recipe to explain what and how much of the spices to add, otherwise it will lack the right flavor and may be disappointing.

 

[Andy M.]

...Puree lacks any of the spices generally found in sauce, and needs water or better yet, chicken broth added....

There is a canned tomato product called tomato sauce that is different from pasta sauce that is often referred to as tomato sauce.

Canned tomato sauce is pretty much tomato with some salt. Tomato puree is pureed tomatoes with minimal additions.

I would use either to make a pasta sauce such as the amatriciana the OP referred to.

 

[LPBeier]

I buy "crushed tomatoes" all the time and that is what it is - more of a puree. It contains some added salt and water, but it is basically just tomatoes processed. It is a little rough, not smooth, and very thick. I prefer this to tomato sauce because of less additives and I can season it my own way. What I buy is NOT called sauce, just crushed tomatoes.

 

[Selkie]

Canned tomato sauce is pretty much tomato with some salt. Tomato puree is pureed tomatoes with minimal additions.

That's not quite the case...
Sauce is cooked in a little olive oil and simmeredhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simmering until it loses its raw flavour, and seasoned with salthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt.

In addition:
Tomato sauce - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Puree: A mixture consisting of only tomatoeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato. No additions what-so-ever.
Tomato purée - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

To my mind, those differences are significant.

 

[larry_stewart]

In addition, each brand may differ significantly. Some varieties of canned crushed tomatoes are more ' crushed ' than others. Some come with a thicker puree than others. Ive found most puree's to be similar in texture, as they are pureed, but the salt content differs as well. So I think as a base, it should work ok, but will have to play with the salt/ spice ratios to get the flavor your looking for, and may have to deviate from the written recipe you are following. But for me, thats the fun part of cooking. For those who are strictly ' recipe followers' with no talent for deviating from a recipe, may run into problems.

 

[Andy M.]

The point I was trying to make is that canned tomato sauce is an ingredient in a pasta sauce, not the finished product. Granted, the term 'tomato sauce' is also used to refer to the finished product.

The OP was asking a question about the possibility of using one of two different ingredients to make a type of pasta sauce. Either ingredient would work in a recipe for a pasta sauce.

 

[larry_stewart]

My wifes aunt once invited us over for dinner, serving Italian style stuffed shells. After my first bite, I knew something seemed a little ' off '. Thats when I looked to the kitchen counter and saw about 10 of those little " tomato sauce' cans opened and empty. Thats when I realized she thought it was the finished product, and used it as the sauce for these shells. No spices, no additions, nothing. Needless to say, we stopped at the diner on the way home. But yes, I agree with you Andy that they both serve well as a base or starter.

 

[Wyogal]

yes, tomato sauce in a can is just tomatoes and salt (and maybe some unpronounceable preservatives) . No "spices." There may be a different water content for sauce, paste, crushed tomatoes, puree, but that should be the only difference (other than chunks of tomatoes in the crushed).

 

[jessicacarr]

add chicken broth...enough to make it as juicy as you need. add whichever spices you want, i.e., oregano, garlic, etc.