🍅 Tomato
Also known as: Tomato powder, Tomato concentrate, Dried tomato
Fruit of the tomato plant (Solanum lycopersicum) that gives pasta dough its red colour: tomato powder or concentrate goes into tricolour pasta and fillings.
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is the fruit of a plant of the nightshade family from western South America, and in pasta dough it is the usual natural source of red colour. Producers add it as tomato powder, dried tomato or tomato concentrate to durum wheat semolina.
The share is small. Tricolour pasta mixes plain, green and red pieces: the red ones typically contain about 1% tomato powder or up to 5% tomato concentrate, as in the tricolour ranges of La Fabbrica della Pasta, De Cecco, Delverde, Gallo, Misko and Panzani. ALB-GOLD uses organic tomato powder in seasonal shapes. Tomato adds colour and a light sweet-acid note but does not make the pasta taste like a sauce.
Tomato also appears inside filled pasta and gnocchi: German ravioli with tomato filling and filled potato gnocchi use tomato paste or dried tomatoes together with cheese, vegetables and herbs.
For powder, ripe tomatoes are crushed, concentrated and spray- or drum-dried; for concentrate, the juice is evaporated to a thick paste. Both are mixed into the dough before extrusion. The red pigment lycopene is fairly heat-stable, so the colour survives drying better than spinach green, although it pales a little in cooking water.
In Italy, dry pasta with extra ingredients is sold as "pasta speciale" under Decree DPR 187/2001, with tomato named in the ingredient list. Tomato is not one of the 14 allergens of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011. Red pasta suits olive oil, light vegetable sauces and pasta salads.
Facts
| Raw material | Ripe tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum): powder, dried tomato or concentrate |
|---|---|
| Main use | Red pieces of tricolour pasta; fillings and filled gnocchi |
| Taste | Mild, slightly sweet and acidic |
How it connects to Pasta
🍅 Tomato → kind of → Pasta ingredients and composition → kind of → 🍝 Pasta
Links
- What is made from it
- 🥃 Bloody Mary
- Where it is found
- De Cecco Farfalle n.93 Tricolore, De Cecco Fusilli n.34 Tricolore, De Cecco Penne Rigate n.41 Tricolore, Divella Penne al Pomodoro e Spinaci n.27, Divella Fusilli al Pomodoro e Spinaci n.40, Divella Spaghetti al Pomodoro e Spinaci n.8, Divella Farfalle al Pomodoro e Spinaci n.85, Giovanni Rana Duetto Ravioli Pomodoro e Mozzarella, Lubella Świderki z Warzywami, Misko Tortellini me Tyria kai Tomata
and 52 more
Misko Trikolore Trivelaki, Misko Trikolore Penne Rigate, Misko Trikolore Tortellini me Tyria, Filiz Sebzeli Burgu Makarna, Melissa Striftoni me Tomata, Delverde Farfalle Tricolore n.5, Delverde Eliche Tricolore n.116, Panzani Torti Tomates & Epinards 3 Minutes, Panzani Farfalle Tomates & Epinard, Panzani Torti Tomates & Epinards, Lustucru Coquillettes Spicy, Lustucru Sélection Girasoli Tomate Mozzarella, Lustucru Sélection Ravioli Tomate Provençale, Gallo Spaghetti Pasta Fina con tomate y espinacas, Gallo Hélices Pasta Fina con tomate y espinacas, Gallo Hélices con tomate y espinacas sin gluten, Gallo Hélices Gourmet Tomates y Albahaca, Gallo Plumas con tomate y espinacas, Gallo Hélices integrales con tomate y espinacas, Gallo Pajaritas con tomate y espinacas, Gallo Margaritas con tomate y espinacas, Gallo Hélices con tomate y espinacas, Gallo Sabores Nuestros con ternera, Settele Grill-Maultaschen - Avocado & Hirtenkäse, La Fabbrica della Pasta Christmas Pasta, La Fabbrica della Pasta Farfalloni Tricolore, La Fabbrica della Pasta Gigli italiani tricolore, La Fabbrica della Pasta Orecchiette artigianali tricolore, La Fabbrica della Pasta Matasse tricolore, La Fabbrica della Pasta Spaghetti tricolore, La Fabbrica della Pasta Lumaconi tricolore, La Fabbrica della Pasta Rigatoni ca' pont tricolore, La Fabbrica della Pasta Cuori tricolore, La Fabbrica della Pasta Farfalle giganti tricolore, La Fabbrica della Pasta Fidanzati italiani tricolore, La Fabbrica della Pasta Fusilloni tricolore, Felicetti Spaghetti Tricolore, Felicetti Eliche Tricolore, Felicetti Fiocchi Tricolore, Rustichella d'Abruzzo Conchiglioni Tris, ALB-GOLD Bio Von Herzen Pasta, ALB-GOLD Bio Weihnachtsnudeln, Bürger Gefüllte Chili-Gnocchi mit Mediterranem Gemüse, Bürger Gefüllte Tomaten-Gnocchi, Bürger Ravioli mit Tomate, Bürger Unsere Besten Mediterranes Gemüse, Tress Bunte Nudeln, Valfleuri Perles Tomates, Valfleuri Pat'atouille, Saint Jean Ravioles Tomates Mozzarella et Basilic, Saint Jean Pâtes Farcies Bio Tomates Confites & Romarin, Saint Jean Ravioles à Poêler Bio à la Tomate & Mozzarelle - Part of
- Pasta ingredients and composition
- Similar and different
- 🥬 Spinach, Beetroot
Frequently asked questions
What makes the red pieces of tricolour pasta red?
Usually tomato powder (about 1%) or tomato concentrate (up to about 5%) mixed into the durum wheat dough; some brands also add beetroot.
Does red tomato pasta taste of tomato sauce?
Only slightly. The small amount of tomato gives colour and a mild sweet-acid note; the sauce still provides most of the flavour.
Is it true that tomato pasta is gluten-free because it is made from vegetables?
No. Tomato only colours the dough; the base is still durum wheat semolina, which contains gluten.
What to read next
- Giovanni Rana Duetto Ravioli Pomodoro e Mozzarella — Giovanni Rana Duetto Ravioli Pomodoro e Mozzarella: fresh filled egg pasta by Giovanni Rana (Giovanni Rana Duetto range); filling: tomato, mozzarella, ricotta and grated cheese.
- Beetroot — Red root of the garden beet (Beta vulgaris) that naturally colours pasta pink or red: dried beetroot powder or juice goes into the dough and into gnocchi.
- 🥃 Bloody Mary — A classic cocktail of vodka and tomato juice with lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, celery salt and pepper; listed by the IBA as a contemporary classic.
- Lustucru Sélection Ravioli Tomate Provençale — Lustucru Sélection Ravioli Tomate Provençale: fresh filled pasta by Lustucru Sélection (Lustucru Sélection Pâtes farcies range); filling: tomato, ricotta, crème fraîche and basil.
- La Fabbrica della Pasta Farfalloni Tricolore — La Fabbrica della Pasta Farfalloni Tricolore: short dry pasta in a decorative shape by La Fabbrica della Pasta (La Fabbrica della Pasta Gli Aromatizzati range); ingredients: durum wheat semolina, water, dried spinach (2%), tomato powder (1%) and dried beetroot (1%).
Similar
🥬 Spinach · Beetroot · Potato · Maize flour · Wheat flour · Semolina
Sources
- D.P.R. 9 febbraio 2001, n. 187 — Regolamento per la produzione e la commercializzazione di sfarinati e paste alimentari (Normattiva)
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on food information to consumers (EUR-Lex)
- USDA FoodData Central — Tomatoes