Key Takeaways
Chef Philip Guardione’s “tre pomodori” sauce uses three varieties of canned tomatoes (Pachino, San Marzano, and Vesuvio) cooked gently with olive oil, garlic, and basil to create a fragrant, sweet, and fresh-tasting pasta sauce in under 30 minutes.Quality tomatoes are essential—look for authentic Italian varieties with a DOP designation to avoid imitations and ensure the best flavor.The sauce pairs well with both fresh and dried pasta, with Guardione recommending fresh pasta for rustic sauces and dried pasta for more delicate seafood-based ones.
Jarred tomato sauce is an excellent pantry staple to have on hand for a bevy of pasta dishes, Saucy Simmered Eggs, homemade pizza, and more, but sometimes preparing your own tomato sauce (as opposed to store-bought) can make all the difference. For nights when you don’t feel like using the jarred stuff, or simply forgot to pick it up from the grocery store, we’ve got you covered with a simple yet delicious homemade tomato sauce straight from an Italian chef.
This fresh sauce comes to us courtesy of Sicilian-born chef Philip Guardione, chef and owner of the Piccola Cucina restaurant group in New York. It calls for multiple different canned tomato varieties, which is how it earned its “tre pomodori” moniker, but it doesn’t need to simmer on the stove for hours in order to upgrade a bowl of plain spaghetti.
“[I] use three different small tomato varieties—I like Pachino cherry tomatoes, San Marzano tomatoes, and Vesuvio grape tomatoes,” Guardione explained of his “go-to” homemade pasta topper. “Cook the tomatoes slowly in a pan over low heat with extra virgin olive oil, a garlic clove, and some fresh basil until they become a fragrant, sweet sauce.”
According to Guardione, one of the keys to this sauce is that you can (and should) toss it directly with your cooked pasta once it’s done and give everything a good stir. The result is a “simple yet incredibly delicious” meal that can’t be beat.
When shopping for Guardione’s preferred canned tomato varieties, you may need to look to specialty markets such as Eataly, Ditalia, or Sogno Toscano.Though San Marzano tomatoes are readily available in the U.S., they are also frequently imitated. To make sure you’re getting the real deal from Italy, look for the designation “DOP” on the exterior of the can. This goes for the other tomato varieties, too.
Check out the complete pasta ai tre pomodori recipe, below, which makes enough to serve four people:
Ingredients:
7 oz. canned Pachino cherry tomatoes7 oz. canned San Marzano cherry tomatoes7 oz. canned Vesuvio Datterino tomatoes3–4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil1 garlic clove (optional) Salt, to tasteA handful of fresh basil leaves
Instructions:
Cut all of the tomatoes in half and set aside.In a large pan, heat the olive oil over low heat and add the garlic clove. Let it infuse the oil for a minute or two, without browning.Add all of the tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Cook gently over low heat for about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes soften and become a sweet, fragrant sauce.Remove the garlic clove and add the fresh basil.Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente.Drain and toss the pasta directly into the sauce. Mix well and serve immediately.
Per Guardione, a sauce like this works best with pasta made from scratch, although dried pasta obviously works too. “If you’ve made or purchased a fresh pasta from scratch, I’d recommend a beautiful ‘nonna sauce,’ or what an Italian family would eat for Sunday lunch. Think ragu, a homemade tomato sauce, or a Sicilian pasta alla norma with eggplant and ricotta salata. Its softer texture holds rustic sauces well,” he explained. “Dried pasta, on the other hand, is ideal for fish sauces: it holds up better to cooking and doesn’t alter the delicate flavor of the fish.”
Dining and Cooking