Pantry Deep Dive: Canned Tomatoes

One staple ingredient that you’ll find in pantries across Italy is some variety of canned (or jarred) tomatoes. Warm breezes during the day and cool nighttime temperatures create the perfect climate for growing juicy and flavorful tomatoes — and you know Italians want that same quality all year round. Different regions in Italy have preferred varieties of tomatoes, from the famous San Marzano to lesser-known (but no less delicious!) Pachino from Sicily. With the great improvement in quality of canned tomatoes, the legendary long-cooked tomato sauce is almost a thing of the past. The modern premium canned tomatoes have a bright, fresh, and even sweet taste that only needs to be cooked briefly, like in our Spaghetto al Pomodoro recipe. Let’s explore the different types of canned tomatoes and their uses, so you can stock your pantry like a pro.

Missing fresh summertime tomatoes? Whole canned tomatoes are just about the closest thing you can get off-season. They’re easily the most versatile of canned tomatoes, since you can crush them, chop them, purée them, and season them however you’d like.  One of the most iconic tomatoes are San Marzano DOP tomatoes. This thin-skinned variety is ideal for making sauces and preserves, and it’s the go-to choice for Neapolitan pizza makers. One of our other favorite types is Datterino tomatoes. This super-sweet, skin-on tomato is our preferred type for our perfected Spaghetto al Pomodoro recipe. Italian whole canned tomatoes can come peeled or unpeeled — it all boils down to texture and preference.

Skip the extra step with whole tomatoes and simply buy them already crushed, chopped, or diced. We know this might be controversial to group these three all together, but they're more similar than you'd think. These tomatoes are the best for ease and low-prep recipes. They are a great way to short-cut a longer recipe where you want a chunkier texture, as these tomatoes are treated with calcium chloride and citric acid to keep their shape. Looking for a unique recipe using canned chopped tomatoes? Check out this Tomato Tartare with feta.

If a smooth sauce is what you’re looking for, passata is your new go-to. These tomatoes have been seeded, strained, and blended until smooth into a thick purée. Use passata for a short-cut tomato soup or any recipe where you don’t want actual pieces of tomato. We always have a jar of passata on hand.

Tomato sauce is here to save your weeknight dinner. Some tomato sauces are simply cooked before being blended for a more concentrated tomato flavor (the difference between passata and tomato sauce), while others are flavored with spices, seasonings, and even other vegetables. The plain style is a great base for pizza or other dishes where you don’t want a raw tomato flavor. You can even find some traditional regional pasta sauces (like Pasta alla Norma) in jars, ready to use without any hassle.

Another of our pantry must-haves? Tomato paste. This essential ingredient is made by cooking tomatoes until the liquid is gone and the paste has a rich color and flavor. It’s perfect for adding a depth of flavor to dishes where you might not even realize there’s any tomato! Whether you get it in the can or a tube (our favorite!), be sure to always have some form of tomato paste stocked in your pantry.

These tomatoes actually predate the other kinds of tomatoes here, since southern Italians have been sun-drying tomatoes before canning was invented! Sun-drying is an ancient way of preserving summer tomatoes to last the whole year. By drying slices of tomatoes in the sun, the flavor and sugar are super-concentrated, and the texture is changed from fresh and juicy to a firmer bite. Sun-dried tomatoes are unbelievably savory, making them great to use in a wide range on punchy southern Italian recipes.

Stock your pantry like an Italian — shop online, get local delivery, or stop by your local Eataly to grab all your favorite kinds of canned tomatoes.