Kitchen Quandary – Picking Tomatoes
My mother used to say “be careful what you wish for….you just might get it.” Not only was she right in the kitchen this week, she inspired what will be a recurring feature on the blog: Kitchen Quandary. When I am wishing for, but not finding, a clear favorite ingredient or component for a recipe, I’ll test a variety of options here in the kitchen and share my recommends with you.
The canned tomato quandary started so innocently. After spending too much time reading marinara labels; checking for gluten, added sugars and other wayward ingredients, I decided it was time to make my own. I knew I could create a quick, easy Weeknight Marinara recipe with good canned tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and some spices. First things first, I set out to find the best canned tomatoes. I was sure there would be a consensus among the many chefs, blogs and websites I follow. No such luck. What I found was conflicting reviews, multiple opinions and no clear favorite.
Always up for a kitchen challenge, I called my culinary partner-in-crime, Carol and set off to the grocery store. I bought the five most-mentioned tomatoes and had a sauce-off right here in the kitchen.
We tried five brands of whole peeled tomatoes: Cento San Marzano, Dei Fratelli, Hunts, Muir Glen and Red Gold. I ultimately based my recommendations on the richness of the tomato flavor, the level of acidity, amount of sweetness and the overall balance of the finished sauce.
There was a clear winner and a runner up. Far and away the Cento San Marzano tomatoes were the favorite – they produced a rich delicious sauce with a beautifully developed flavor. These tomatoes are more expensive (about $4.00/can), but worth the extra money, in my opinion. The second choice, was Red Gold. I didn’t find them to be as full-flavored, but they produced a really nice sauce for about half the price.
I regularly serve the marinara over pasta, with sautéed chicken breasts or shrimp. – my go-to gluten free pasta is Tinkyàda. It’s found in large grocery stores, Whole Foods & local co-ops. I also like Trader Joe’s brown rice pasta.
I encourage you to try the Weeknight Marinara with either the Cento San Marzano or the Red Gold tomatoes and see what you think- I believe it will be a great addition to your recipe box.
Please share your experience with tomatoes by commenting here and if you’ve been wishing for a clear favorite ingredient for one of your recipes let me know. I’ll be happy to help answer your kitchen quandary!
Weeknight Marinara
Ingredients
- 1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes Cento San Marzano or Red Gold
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic more or less to taste
- 3/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes optional
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Pick your tomatoes. Cento San Marzano tomatoes are far and away my favorite for marinara. They have fabulous, rich tomato flavor that make them great for sauce. Red Gold are my second choice. I find both in my local grocery store
- Pour the tomatoes into a large bowl and use your hands to crush them into small pieces
- Chop the garlic finely - I prefer chopping the garlic rather than using a garlic press for this recipe
- Heat the oil in a pan, add the garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes (if using) and cook for 30 seconds - be careful not to burn the garlic. If you do (and we all have) throw it out and start over otherwise, the sauce will have a burnt flavor
- Add the tomatoes and salt to the pan and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes
- Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings as needed. If it tastes flat - add a bit more salt, bland - a pinch of red pepper, acidic - a 1/2 tsp sugar. Cook for 10 minutes more
- Meanwhile - cook the pasta according to the package directions and reserve a cup of the pasta water before draining. My favorite gluten free pasta is Tinkyàda brand, found at large grocery stores, Whole Foods and local co-ops
- Add the cooked pasta to the pan of hot sauce and stir to combine. If the sauce is too thick, add a bit of the pasta water
- Serve with a sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese and enjoy!
Thanks for doing the testing for us.
Sarah
Maggie, you are doing great on your blog. I really love getting your emails and always follow to the website. Hey, one question I have is about canned tomatoes and a possible alternative for marinara sauce. I have heard canned tomatoes are the worst of all offenders in leeching chemicals…I forget which one. I should look it up before even writing. But I am one who grows tons of tomatoes every summer (and I bet readers go to farmers markets and buy in bulk at great prices during the bumper times). I would LOVE a recipe for a marinara sauce that I can make in bulk from fresh tomatoes and then freeze for winter use. The easiest thing for me to do when I am inundated with tomatoes is to run them raw through the food processor (often with fresh basil added) and then bulk freeze the liquid. But I have no idea how to turn that into great sauce. And I would be thrilled for any ideas on how to use this raw tomato grind. Just an idea for future Kilkenny Kitchen offerings. Keep up your great work!
Hi Jeanne-
Thanks for the question. I will do some research on the canned tomatoes. I, also, love to use fresh tomatoes in the summer from my garden or the farmer’s market – I’ll work on a recipe or two this summer that we can use to capitalize on our fabulous MN tomatoes.
Maggie – I agree with you about the Cento tomatoes. The right tomatoes makes all the difference in the sauce. Thank you for the sauce recommendations! Pat