San Marzano tomatoes are not only a fantastic ingredient but also essential for the perfect, authentic Neapolitan pizza. Yet, many still miss out on their true flavor potential.
How you handle and prepare these tomatoes makes a huge difference. When treated right, San Marzano tomatoes can craft a pizza sauce that beautifully complements the flavorful crust and creamy cheese. However, there are many pitfalls that can ruin the lovely San Marzano tomatoes, making one question the investment in these prized tomatoes.
In this blog post, we’ll look at 7 mistakes that are holding you back from achieving the ultimate Neapolitan pizza sauce. Ready to dive in?
1. Using the wrong tomatoes
To truly get the most from San Marzano tomatoes, you have to start by picking the right ones.
San Marzano tomatoes are available both fresh and canned. But here’s the thing: sourcing quality fresh ones outside of Italy is a challenge. That’s why canned San Marzano tomatoes are your best bet. They’re harvested at their peak, ensuring top-notch quality all year round.
But always ensure you get the real deal.
Genuine San Marzano tomatoes proudly bear the DOP (Denominazione d’Origine Protetta) mark. This isn’t just a sticker, it’s a guarantee. For a tomato to sport this label, it must be cultivated in the Campania region of southern Italy, adhering to stringent rules from planting to canning. When you see that DOP mark, you’re confident you’re holding the best tomatoes, harvested at their ripest and most flavorful.
Choose genuine San Marzano tomatoes and avoid the knock-offs to know you get the best product, with the best flavor and texture. This makes the difference between a good pizza sauce and a mind-blowing one.
2. Breaking the seeds
If you don’t make your pizza sauce right, you could mess up the sweet taste of the San Marzano tomatoes you paid the extra dollars for.
A big mistake many make is blending the tomatoes. Doing this not only ruins the texture of the sauce but also breaks the seeds. And these seeds have a bitter taste. So when you blend them, you let out this bitterness, and end up with a less sweet and unbalanced sauce.
Hand-crushing the tomatoes is the way to go. It keeps the sweetness and also gives you a thicker, nicer sauce.
Think about it this way: blending San Marzano tomatoes is like using a Filet Mignon for soup. Sure, it might be a good soup, but why pay more for a premium cut of steak and then use it for soup? It’s the same with tomatoes. When you have the best, make sure to use them right.
3. Not draining canned San Marzano tomatoes
While San Marzano tomatoes contain less water than most other types of tomatoes, draining them will still yield a thicker and better pizza sauce.
The amount of liquid in the can varies, but always drain your San Marzano tomatoes before making your pizza sauce. A too-watery sauce will result in a soggy pizza. Simply dump the canned tomatoes into a fine mesh sieve or strainer, using only the whole tomatoes for your sauce.
However, don’t discard that liquid! It can be repurposed for a fantastic pasta sauce.
4. Adding the wrong amount of salt to your sauce
The right amount of salt can elevate the flavor of your San Marzano tomatoes, making them truly stand out on a Neapolitan pizza.
Just like a good steak, San Marzano tomatoes will taste better with salt. Salt acts as a flavor enhancer, bringing out the tomatoes’ natural sweetness and tang. However, too much or too little can disrupt this balance, detracting from the overall taste of your pizza.
The rule of thumb is 1 gram per 100g of canned tomatoes. For a 400g (14oz) can, that would be 4 grams of salt. But adjust as needed, especially considering the salt content in your dough and toppings.
5. Adding sugar to your San Marzano sauce
San Marzano tomatoes are naturally sweet and well-balanced, making additional sugar unnecessary.
Putting sugar into your San Marzano sauce can mask the fresh and balanced flavor of the tomatoes. If you’re aiming for a sweeter sauce, consider using a more affordable tomato type rather than splurging on San Marzano.
If you feel the need to add sugar, it’s likely because you’ve made one of the previous mistakes. Maybe you blended the tomatoes, crushed the seeds, and released bitterness, or perhaps you added too much salt and are now trying to restore balance with sugar.
But remember, traditional Neapolitan pizza sauce made from San Marzano tomatoes doesn’t include sugar. When prepared correctly, it doesn’t need any.
6. Adding too many herbs and other flavors
For a Neapolitan pizza sauce, the unmistakable flavor of San Marzano tomatoes should be front and center.
Overloading the sauce with herbs and strong flavors risks burying the rich, nuanced, and well-balanced taste that makes these tomatoes so special. Keep it simple and let the San Marzanos shine.
7. Boiling the San Marzano tomatoes
While San Marzano tomatoes do create a delicious pasta sauce when cooked, for Neapolitan pizza, it’s all about that fresh taste.
Traditionally, Neapolitan pizza uses fresh, uncooked tomatoes. This lets you really taste the San Marzano tomatoes in their pure form. Even though these tomatoes are good for pasta sauce because they have less water, for pizza, they’re best used fresh!
Conclusion
San Marzano tomatoes are the star ingredient for an authentic Neapolitan pizza sauce.
Remember, it’s not just about getting the right tomatoes, but also about handling them correctly. Avoid the common mistakes, let their natural flavor shine, and you’ll get the perfect sauce every time. As you embark on your next pizza-making session, use the tips provided to ensure your sauce is top-notch!
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