These Canned Tomatoes Are A Must-Have For Bobby Flay
Bobby Flay has the kind of organized pantry many can only dream about. In partnership with Misfit Markets, the celebrity chef gave a tour of his culinary sanctum sanctorum and posted it on Instagram. During a walk-thru of his well-stocked shelves, Flay revealed he always keeps tons of "good quality, San Marzano, Italian-style tomatoes" on hand. The "Throw Down" host explained that this staple is a must-have for good tomato sauce.
He isn't wrong. In fact, this is one of Flay's best cooking tips. Canned tomatoes are convenient and can make for a quick sauce for your favorite pasta. The cookbook author went on to explain how he amps up the flavor, saying, "If I want to eat literally in a few minutes, I throw on a pot of water, fill the pasta in there with a bunch of salt, get some tomato sauce going then I'll take out, like, some Calabrian chilies or some crushed red peppers, fresh basil, or some oregano, or whatever kind of herbs I have, some Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and you have pasta. I mean, it's like perfect." But why San Marzano tomatoes?
Bobby Flay likes his San Marzano tomatoes chunky
These canned fruits are considered the gold standard of tomatoes. Their superpower: San Marzano tomatoes develop a richer taste as they're cooked. They're sweet, have fewer seeds, and have a lower water content than many other varieties.
If you want to ensure your San Marzano tomatoes are the real deal, look for a DOP marking, which stands for Denominazione d'Origine Protetta. These letters verify you've got authentic San Marzano grown in the Sarnese-Nocerino district in Campania, Italy, close to Naples. Just be prepared to spend a few extra bucks for canned San Marzano tomatoes. A can of these certified ingredients can range from a little over $4 to around $6.
How does Bobby Flay incorporate these canned tomatoes into his sauce? You might think he purees them for a velvety mouthful, but he doesn't. When it comes to how Flay prefers his tomato sauce's texture, he likes to keep the tomatoes chunky. He achieves this consistency by using San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes and a potato masher. Why this kitchen gadget? The potato masher crushes the tomatoes and breaks them apart, giving them a texture that straddles the worlds of smooth and chunky. Then Flay cooks them for just 30 minutes to get his desired bite.