- Italian grandmothers love Cento for its sweet taste, quality, and easy-to-find cans.
- Nonnas choose simple cans with few ingredients so they can season sauces their way.
- Price, flavor and availability all influence their choices at the store.
Look over a menu at any Italian restaurant and one thing will be clear: Tomatoes are the backbone of so many dishes, from pasta sauces and pizzas to main dishes with meat or fish. While most Italians would agree that fresh tomatoes are always the tastiest, canned tomatoes—whether diced, pureed, whole or in paste—are crucial too.
We recently interviewed chefs about which brand of canned tomatoes they prefer, and while their answers are insightful, so much of Italian (and Italian American) cooking happens at home. So I asked my own grandmother if she had a particular brand of tomatoes she preferred. “Whatever is cheapest and Italian!” she told me. I knew other nonnas would likely be pickier, so I set out to find a consensus.
Three Italian grandmothers I spoke with were able to agree: Cento, an imported Italian brand that’s widely available in the U.S., is often what they reach for.
Why Italian Grandmothers Choose Cento
Courtesy of Brand
New Orleans–based grandmother Elizabeth Williams, the author of Nana’s Creole Italian Table said she reaches for Cento because it’s available at most grocery stores (and online), consistently high quality and versatile. “At home I like to make my own canned tomatoes. But there are never enough home-canned tomatoes to make it through the year,” she says. “They have San Marzano tomatoes, too, but I only buy those more expensive tomatoes when the sauce is only about the tomatoes. I find that when you add mushrooms, onions, seasonings, meat or chicken or any other things to the sauce, spending the extra money is not worth it if you have a good brand of more ordinary tomatoes.”
Lisa Keys (née Matino), a self-described “full blooded Italian grandmother” and Food Network Chopped Champion, agreed, adding that she prefers the brand’s sweet flavor and thick texture. She includes the canned tomatoes in her recipe for sausage and peppers, a classic red sauce Italian American dish.
Dietitian Kristen Carli said that her grandmother, Annette DiGiovanni, was loyal to Cento’s canned San Marzano tomatoes, too. “These tomatoes are grown in Italy in the Sarnese Nocerino area, which is known for its soil. This growing environment is said to contribute to the sweet flavor of these tomatoes,” she explained.
What Nonnas Look for in a Can of Tomatoes
Besides consistency and availability, the nonnas I spoke with also agreed that the best canned tomatoes are simple. “When buying canned tomatoes, look for a BPA-free can lining and avoid any tomatoes packed with artificial colors, flavors or preservatives,” Keys said. “San Marzano tomatoes as the first ingredient is the best.”
Williams takes that notion a step further—she looks for tomatoes that have as few seasonings as possible, too. “I like canned tomatoes to have no sugar, little or no salt and no seasonings, if possible. I want to be in control of the ingredients and that means a can that is as unflavored as possible,” she explains.
Another Trusted Brand
When I pushed my grandma, Patricia Rotondo, a bit further, she did say she often bought Tuttorosso brand canned tomatoes, which were also on Williams’ and Keys’ shortlists. All three mentioned the price: Tuttorosso’s 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes was just $1.14 at my local grocery store, while Cento’s were $2.50. “I never cooked fancy,” my grandmother told me, adding that a pasta dish was an easy and affordable way to feed a big family, so price was typically the most important factor for her. (There are usually 12 of us when all my cousins and I are at the table!)
Keys said that her mother also cooked with Tuttorosso: “My mother had nine brothers and sisters and my dad had three. Everyone, including the neighbors and a few stray cats were welcomed to the table,” she remembers. “There was nothing better than to be surrounded by those you loved most with the smell of a simmering pot of meatballs and the aroma of freshly baked cookies in the air.”
The Bottom Line
Chefs and nonnas agree: Cento canned tomatoes are some of the best you can use, due to their flavor, budget-friendly price and wide availability. Their sweet flavor, especially the San Marzano variety, is thanks to the volcanic soil they are grown in in Italy’s Campania region. When shopping for canned tomatoes, Italian grandmothers look for simple ingredient lists—no preservatives, no sugar and very little added salt—so they can season their sauces to their own liking.
