Tomato paste is a thick paste made by cooking tomatoes for several hours to reduce the water content, straining out the seeds and skins, and cooking the liquid again to reduce the base to a thick, rich concentrate. Tomato Paste is used to impart an intense tomato flavor to a variety of dishes, such as pasta, soups and braised meat. Tomato paste was first produced in Italian homes and factories. To flavor their pasta with a different and new taste, the Italians decided to prepare a sauce from tomato extract, and that is why Sicily and other cities in southern Italy became the birthplace of tomato paste