What Is Tomato Passata, and How Should I Use It? — Ingredient Intelligence

In many of the British cooking programs I follow and British cookbooks I use, I've often run across an ingredient that is unfamiliar to me. It's called tomato passata (or "strained tomatoes") and it appears to be a liquid tomato puree that comes in tall, carafe-like glass jars or a carton. What is it exactly and why would I use it instead of tomato sauce or tomato paste?

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