Take A Cheese Grater To Your Ripest Tomatoes For Lightning-Fast Sauce

There's nothing better than stocking up on deliciously fresh and bountiful tomatoes at your local grocery store. Why not celebrate these vibrant red gems by whipping up a mouthwatering dish that puts them in the spotlight? From a rich and complex panang curry tomato bisque to a classic and comforting tomato soup, you have a plethora of options to choose from.

Here's a little tip that might surprise you: If your recipe calls for adding tomato sauce (like when making pasta sauce), resist the urge to reach for that immersion blender. Instead, grab your trusty cheese grater!

That's right, your humble box grater isn't just for shredding cheddar for your morning cheese toasties anymore. If you happen to have some overripe tomatoes in the bunch you picked up, which tend to have a softer flesh, simply grate them. In just a few minutes, you'll have a velvety tomato puree ready to be turned into a delicious sauce!

When selecting your tomatoes, look for ones that are slightly overripe. Gently squeeze each one, and set aside the softest ones from the bunch — the softer they are, the easier it will be to grate them.

Cut the tomatoes in half and place the cut side against the large holes of your trusty box grater. Then gently grate the tomatoes, allowing the skin to naturally peel back as you work. Place a bowl beneath the grater to catch all the luscious grated tomato flesh and continue grating until you reach the stem end, leaving you with a mostly flattened strip of tomato skin. This technique has an added bonus — you won't have to worry about any unwanted tomato skin sneaking into your dish. Once you're done making the tomato puree, the possibilities are endless from here on out ... depending on what you're cooking up next, either mix it into a pizza sauce or marinara — your choice.