Bella Cucina Passata Pasta Sauce 400g

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Pure strained tomatoes, nothing added — Bella Cucina Passata. 400g.

Sun-ripened tomatoes | Strained and pure | The Italian cooking base | The ingredient behind every great tomato sauce

Why Bella Cucina Passata

• Passata — pure strained tomatoes, the most fundamental Italian tomato product
• Sun-ripened tomatoes — the quality of the tomato is everything in a passata
• Nothing added — no seasoning, no herbs, no sugar. Pure tomato.
• The cooking base — the ingredient you build sauces from, not pour from the jar
• Versatile — pasta sauces, pizza bases, soups, braises, shakshuka and more
• 400g — the right quantity for a sauce for two to four

My Meat Man

This is the ingredient behind every great Italian tomato sauce.

Passata is not a pasta sauce. It is the ingredient you make pasta sauce from. Raw tomatoes, strained to remove the seeds and skin, nothing added. The result is a pure, smooth tomato base with the brightness of fresh tomato and the body of a cooked sauce — the starting point for a sugo, an arrabbiata, a pizza base or a bolognese.

The quality of a passata is entirely determined by the quality of the tomatoes. Sun-ripened tomatoes produce a passata that is sweet, bright and deeply flavoured. Under-ripe or poor-quality tomatoes produce a passata that is thin, sharp and flat. Bella Cucina’s passata is built on sun-ripened tomatoes — the quality that makes the difference.

At HKD 39 for 400g, this is the most useful tomato product in the pantry — the ingredient that makes everything else possible.

The ingredient behind every great Italian tomato sauce.

What is Passata?

Passata (from the Italian “passare” — to pass or strain) is:

• raw tomatoes, strained through a sieve to remove seeds and skin
• nothing added — no salt, no herbs, no seasoning
• smooth and pourable — thicker than tomato juice, thinner than tomato paste
• the purest form of tomato — the flavour is entirely the tomato itself

Passata vs other tomato products:

• passata — raw, strained, pure. The cooking base.
• sugo — cooked tomato sauce, seasoned. Ready to use.
• tomato paste — concentrated, cooked down. Used in small quantities for depth.
• canned tomatoes — whole or chopped, in juice. Requires cooking and breaking down.

How to Use

As a Pasta Sauce Base

• Heat olive oil and garlic in a pan, add passata and simmer for 15–20 minutes
• Season with salt, add fresh basil at the end — instant sugo
• Add chilli for arrabbiata, cream for a tomato cream sauce, or meat for a ragù
• The passata is the canvas — season and build to taste

As a Pizza Base

• Season with salt, a pinch of dried oregano and a drizzle of olive oil
• Spread directly onto pizza dough — no cooking required
• The oven does the cooking — the passata becomes the sauce as the pizza bakes

In Braises and Slow Cooks

• Add to braised beef, lamb or pork as the tomato element
• Use as the base for a slow-cooked osso buco or short rib braise
• Add to a chicken cacciatore with olives, capers and white wine
• Use as the tomato base for a slow-cooked bolognese

In Soups and Stews

• Use as the tomato base for a minestrone or vegetable soup
• Add to a lentil or bean soup for body and flavour
• Use as the base for a shakshuka — season with cumin, paprika and chilli, then poach eggs
• Stir into a fish stew or bouillabaisse as the tomato element

Pro Tips

• Always cook passata before using as a pasta sauce — the raw tomato flavour needs heat to develop
• Season generously — passata has no added salt, so it needs seasoning
• Simmer for at least 15 minutes to concentrate the flavour and develop sweetness
• A pinch of sugar balances acidity if the tomatoes are sharper than expected
• Add a parmesan rind while simmering for extra depth and umami
• For pizza, use cold — no cooking required, the oven does the work

Serving Suggestions

• spaghetti pomodoro — passata simmered with garlic, olive oil and fresh basil
• pizza margherita — passata seasoned with salt and oregano as the base
• slow-cooked beef ragù with passata, red wine and herbs
• shakshuka with passata, cumin, paprika, chilli and poached eggs
• chicken cacciatore with passata, olives, capers and white wine
• minestrone with passata, cannellini beans and seasonal vegetables
• arrabbiata — passata with garlic, chilli and olive oil

Why this is a smart buy

At HKD 39 for 400g of Bella Cucina Passata, this is exceptional value for the purest, most versatile tomato product in the pantry — the ingredient that makes every tomato sauce, pizza and braise possible.

• sun-ripened tomatoes — the quality that makes the difference in a passata
• nothing added — pure tomato, season and build to taste
• the most versatile tomato product — pasta sauces, pizza, braises, soups and more

Ideal for home cooks who want to build their own sauces, for pizza nights, for slow braises and for anyone who wants the purest tomato base in their pantry.

You may also like:

• Bella Cucina Basil Sugo Pasta Sauce 400g — the ready-made tomato and basil sauce for when you want it done
• Bella Cucina Arrabbiata Pasta Sauce 400g — the spicy tomato sauce, ready to heat and serve
• Bella Cucina Alla Vodka Pasta Sauce 400g — tomato and cream, silky and indulgent

Delivery & Storage

Delivery

• Fast delivery across Hong Kong

Storage

• Store in a cool, dry place
• Refrigerate after opening and use within the recommended timeframe

Frequently Asked Questions

What is passata?
Passata is raw tomatoes strained through a sieve to remove seeds and skin. Nothing is added — no salt, no herbs, no seasoning. It is the purest form of tomato and the cooking base for pasta sauces, pizza and braises.

Is it ready to use as a pasta sauce?
Not straight from the jar — passata needs to be cooked to develop its flavour. Heat olive oil and garlic, add the passata and simmer for 15–20 minutes. Season with salt and add fresh basil at the end for an instant sugo.

How is it different from the Basil Sugo?
The Basil Sugo is a finished, ready-to-use pasta sauce — seasoned, cooked and ready to heat and serve. Passata is the raw ingredient you cook from. Use passata when you want to build your own sauce; use the Basil Sugo when you want it done.

Can I use it as a pizza base without cooking?
Yes — for pizza, use the passata cold and uncooked. Season with salt, a pinch of dried oregano and a drizzle of olive oil, then spread onto the dough. The oven does the cooking.

Can I freeze it?
Yes — freeze in portions for convenient use. Defrost overnight in the fridge and use within a day of defrosting.

Final Word

Bella Cucina Passata is the ingredient behind every great Italian tomato sauce.

Pure strained tomatoes, nothing added — the canvas for a sugo, a pizza, a braise or a shakshuka. Season, simmer and build to taste.

Pure tomato. The ingredient that makes everything else possible.