Bomba – spiced tomato paste

Spiced Tomato Paste from Italy

Bomba is a triple-concentrated, spiced tomato paste from Italy, based on a recipe by Laura Santtini — London's Umami Queen. It is refined with soffritto, red wine, and cooked grape must. Perfect for pasta, bolognese, minestrone, bruschetta, and spreads.

Spiced tomato paste Bomba is a triple-concentrated Italian tomato paste based on a recipe by Laura Santtini, made in Italy. It contains only good ingredients that an Italian housewife would also use. In the practical 200g tube, you'll find a pre-spiced concentrate of sun-ripened tomatoes, a classic soffritto of carrots, celery, and onions, dry red wine, and a splash of cooked grape must. "Bomba" is Italian for bomb — and this jar is indeed a flavor bomb.

Deep red, creamy, and concentrated in flavor

Once opened, the tomato paste reveals a mahogany dark, creamy-dense texture with the slightly resinous, sweet scent of ripe tomatoes, red wine, and Italian herbs. Just half a teaspoon delivers the depth that other sauces take an hour to achieve.

On the tongue, a full-bodied, sweet and savory tomato core unfolds with a delicate herbal top note and a long, slightly wine-like finish. The sweetness doesn't come from sugar alone — cooked grape must (Italian sapa) rounds off the acidity and makes Bomba smoother than classic tomato paste from a tube. We believe this is one of the most elegant ways to add depth to a sauce without sacrificing time.

We enjoy Bomba with pasta, on bruschetta, and in minestrone

Bomba is umami in concentrated form. A spoonful stirred into minced meat transforms a quick bolognese into something deep, while two spoonfuls in minestrone give the broth the backbone that otherwise takes hours to extract from bones. In casseroles, tomato sauces, stews — wherever tomato and richness are desired, a small amount goes a long way.

We particularly enjoy Bomba as a base: a spoonful on toasted sourdough bread, topped with basil and a drizzle of good olive oil — you've got a bruschetta that tastes like a Tuscan vacation home. A thin stripe on flatbread works wonderfully as a pizza base. And for those who love grilling, try it as a rub on chicken wings or in marinade oil for summer vegetables — half a teaspoon is enough, and the grilled food will get a deep, dark, flavorful crust.

Our tip for hectic evenings: mix a tablespoon of Bomba with some pasta water, grated Parmesan, and olive oil — you'll have a pasta sauce you'd otherwise simmer canned tomatoes for. More ideas can be found in our Pasta, Risotto, and Sugo selection, and if you want to take umami to the extreme, try Laura's Taste #5 Umami Paste. Once opened, the jar should be refrigerated and used promptly.

Laura Santtini, the Umami Queen from Belgravia

Behind Bomba is Laura Santtini — restaurateur, cookbook author, and known worldwide as the "Umami Queen" since 2009. She managed the family-run London restaurant Santini in Belgravia, once a favorite of Frank Sinatra, between 2002 and 2008, and subsequently published several award-winning cookbooks, including "Easy Tasty Italian" (2009, Guild of Food Writers Best First Book Award 2010) and "At Home with Umami" (2015).

Her cuisine is a mosaic of her heritage — half Italian, partly Persian, English-Irish. In 2009, Laura launched the world's first umami paste. Bomba is one of its sweeter siblings: tomato and grape must instead of miso and anchovy, but the same idea — a concentrated shortcut to depth and flavor.

The paste is made in Italy according to Laura's original recipe; she herself likes to call it "the world's sauciest tomato paste." All due respect. You can find more Italian treasures in our Pasta category.