quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

Nice sauce. But I can never find 35-ounce cans, just 28-ounce ones. I make a similar sauce, but I run one can of San Marzano tomatoes through a food mill

If you use San Marzano tomatoes, I’m surprised you have trouble finding 35-oz cans. The places in San Francisco that carry real San Marzano often have 35-oz cans rather than 28. That size seems to be an Italian thing.

I too am very partial to San Marzano and the simpler the sauce, the more important I think it is to use them. In this sauce, I think they would make a big difference. Also, the closest easy-to-get substitute for San Marzano I have found is, believe it or not, Trader Joe’s low sodium canned pear tomatoes, but they do come in a 28 oz can like most US products.

By the way, zataar, every good Italian cook I have heard talk about the subject agrees that garlic should not be browned in a sauce. My favorite sauce is putanesca and I start with lots of garlic sauteed in oil but for that too I make sure to add the tomatoes before it gets brown to keep it sweet.