Editing Tomato paste (section)

{{Short description|Paste made from tomatoes}}
[[File:Tomato paste on spoon.jpg|thumb|Tomato paste]]

'''Tomato paste''' is a thick [[Paste (food)|paste]] made from [[tomato|tomatoes]], which are cooked for several hours to reduce water content, straining out seeds and skins, and cooking the liquid again to reduce the base to a thick, rich concentrate.<ref>Kimberley Willis, Viktor Budnik  Knack Canning, Pickling & Preserving: Tools, Techniques & Recipes 2010 Page 88 "Tomato paste - Good tomato paste is a kitchen staple. All tomatoes can be cooked down to paste, but starting with paste-type tomatoes, often called Roma tomatoes, will make a faster, smoother product. Juicy tomatoes may take twice as long ..."</ref> It is used to impart an intense tomato flavour to a variety of dishes, such as pasta, soups and [[Braising|braised]] meat. It is used as an ingredient in many world [[cuisine]]s.

By contrast, [[tomato purée]] is a liquid with a thinner consistency than tomato paste, while [[tomato sauce]] is even thinner in consistency.<ref>Barbara Ann Kipfer  The Culinarian: A Kitchen Desk Reference  2012 - Page 561 "Tomato paste is concentrate of puréed tomatoes sold in cans or at double strength in tubes. ... The differences between tomato paste, tomato purée, and tomato sauce are texture and depth of flavor (the thicker the consistency, the deeper ..."</ref>