Mutti Triple-Concentrated Tomato Paste
Mutti Tomato Paste is tomato paste as it was originally intended. Traditionally, this ingredient was made by drying tomato sauce on wooden boards in the sun; likewise, Mutti's modern version has a sun-dried flavor and caramelized richness reminiscent of molasses. Yet the tomato paste is not overly sweet—as tomatoes cook, their amino acids break down, which produces savory umami compounds. And unlike most tubed tomato pastes which are double-concentrated, this version is triple-concentrated, so a little goes a long way. We far prefer it to other tomato pastes in tubes, not to mention canned varieties that inevitably have a metallic taste from reacting with acidic tomato juice.
Mutti Tomato Vinegar
Similar to red wine vinegar but slightly less sharp, Mutti's Tomato Vinegar has a sweet-savory balance and smooth quality reminiscent of balsamic, with an intense sun-dried tomato aroma. It's not too acidic but rather balanced by caramelized sweetness and an earthy umami depth. This complex vinegar enhances raw tomato recipes and can be used in simple applications. We like to drizzle some on caprese salads or toss it in pasta salad, with feta or goat cheese as a creamy counterpoint.
Mutti Tomato Ketchup
Most ketchup is watered-down and overly sweet from corn syrup. Not so with Mutti's product, which has a full tomato taste because it's made from concentrated tomato paste instead of puree. The ketchup also has a wonderful balance of flavors: robust and savory with a touch of spice. We like that Mutti makes this condiment with wine vinegar, which adds dimension and offsets tomatoes' ripe sweetness.