This Is Lidia Bastianich's Go-To Canned Tomato

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When it comes to certain dishes and ingredients, fresh isn't always best. Sometimes, canned versions are ideal for ease of use and to help home cooks enjoy out-of-season foods preserved at their peak quality. However, not all of those options are equally good. Just ask famous chef and television personality Lidia Bastianich, who's well-known for her delicious Italian recipes. When it comes to a crucial ingredient like canned tomatoes, she opts for the San Marzano variety.

In an exclusive interview with our sister site Tasting Table, Bastianich described canned tomatoes as "great," noting that "if you get a good San Marzano tomato, a whole tomato in its juice, that makes the best sauce, the best marinara." Grown only within a small region of volcanic soil in Italy, San Marzano tomatoes stand out for their rich, low-acidity taste, low number of seeds, and thick walls, all of which are ideal characteristics for pasta sauce. The chef also praised their thin skins and proper moisture levels.

Opting for quality makes sense in this case. When Bastianich described how she makes the perfect tomato sauce, she's revealed there are few other ingredients involved, limited to just olive oil, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes, and basil. This makes the choice of tomato ultra-important to the quality of the final product.

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When seeking out the true San Marzano experience, it's critical to avoid imitators that have unfortunately popped up on many supermarket shelves. However, it's relatively easy to spot the real thing, thanks to the label all authentic San Marzano canned tomatoes have. It's a small red-and-yellow mark known as a DOP mark, an acronym of an Italian phrase that translates as "protected designation of origin." This distinguishes them from so-called "Italian-style" or other domestically grown alternatives, which can't truly be called San Marzanos. In addition, true San Marzanos are never sold crushed or diced, only whole or in fillets.

This quality control and relative scarcity mean real San Marzanos often cost noticeably more than other canned tomatoes. However, they can still be somewhat of a bargain compared to the price of high-end premade sauces from brands like Rao's.

With chefs like Lidia Bastianich unafraid to use canned tomatoes as the core of their recipes, home cooks certainly shouldn't be afraid either. Many sauces, including our easy homemade mariana sauce recipe, are sized around the convenient 28-ounce servings. Still, it's vital to choose the right ones.

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