Rustic what?! Passata. Pahs-sah-tah. It’s means sauce. But it sounds fancy. I’ve got about 10% Italian ancestry from the research I’ve done, and how I’ve been making tomato sauce would probably make my ancestral Italian bisnonna’s (great grand-ma-ma’s) turn over in their graves, though I suspect they never did any cooking for themselves (they looked to be some bougie ladies of the time).
Anyhow, back on track here. This summer has given us BOATLOADS of tomatoes. My kitchen has been swimming in them. Little ones, big ones, juicy ones, and San Marzano’s aka the primo sauce making tomatoes. I haven’t had this good of a (producing) garden in nearly 10 years, specifically with tomatoes, so I’ve been making the best of it, sauces, salsas and all.
This super easy rustic tomato passata will demolish gallons of tomatoes from your counter tops if you’re finding yourself in that dilemma. And because I don’t have time to slip the skins & strain the seeds, the most prep work for this delicious project is just coring the bigger tomatoes so you don’t have any hard stemmy pieces. Even quartering the tomatoes up is optional. We’re just cooking them until they completely fall apart. It’s rustic. It’s versatile, and this sauce has saved me a trip to the grocery store multiple times now.
This simple sauce SCREAMS the flavors of the season. It’s got that undeniable punch of garden fresh tomatoes, and undertones of all the things that make it Italian. It’ll hit you right in the comfort food feels, guaranteed.
I’ve used this in with the meat mixture portion on lasagna (which my family agreed was the best lasagna we’ve ever had – though it could’ve been the homemade ricotta in there too!), and tonight it’s going to be mixed in with some penne, ground pork seasoned with basil, garlic & red pepper flakes, and the last of the squash from the garden cooked perfectly al-dente & topped with parmesan.
One thing for sure around here, us Elston’s love us some home cooked, homegrown food. Gathering around the table together, serving up a delicious meal really brings our hard work & efforts here on the farm full circle.
So from my kitchen to yours, I hope this recipe inspires you to use what you have, to try something new, and share a special moment together gathered around the table with your family this week.
Buon appetito! – Randi
Elston Farms 