Pepper and especially tomato paste is made by cooking skinned, seedless ripe peppers and tomatoes until most of their water has boiled away and they can be strained into a thick, flavor-rich concentrate.

 

Tomato and pepper paste is available canned and tubed, or can be made using home recipes if you are interested in putting in the extra time. Tomato and pepper paste can be used to inexpensively thicken, color and enrich the flavor of tomato sauces and other semi-liquids such as soups and stews.