By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 2
35 min
Quick-Cooked Tomato Puree
Recipe GLPRa6c7ba88ffd5ec
A vibrant Italian tomato puree made from fresh ripe plum tomatoes, gently simmered and blended into a smooth, silky sauce. This simple condiment captures the pure essence of summer tomatoes and is perfect for pasta, soups, or any dish that needs a burst of tomato flavor.
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Ingredients
3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, diced
Kosher salt to taste
Directions
Place the diced plum tomatoes in a heavy-bottomed saucepan or pot over medium-high heat. Do not add water—the tomatoes will release their own juices as they warm.
Bring the tomatoes to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and cook uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tomatoes have broken down significantly and the mixture is soft and pulpy.
Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly for 2 to 3 minutes.
Carefully transfer the cooked tomatoes and their liquid to a blender. Working in batches if necessary, blend on high speed until completely smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes per batch.
Pass the blended puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl, using the back of a spoon to push the puree through and strain out any seeds or tough skin particles.
Season with kosher salt to taste and stir well. Use immediately as a fresh sauce or condiment, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Comments
Plum tomatoes and kosher salt are stocked at every major Charlotte chain—Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Publix, Walmart, ALDI, Kroger—so no special trip is needed. At roughly $2 for quality plum tomatoes and a few cents for salt, you're looking at under $1 per serving for a finished puree, making this genuinely cheap. The stated 35 minutes is honest if you're simmering whole tomatoes down and passing them through a food mill, though a blender cuts it closer to 20 if you're willing to skip straining. Two servings is a modest yield, so this works best as a component—a base for soup, pasta, or other dishes—rather than a standalone meal, and it reheats perfectly for days.
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