Classic Tomato Pasta
25 minEasy
Ingredient guide
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are the most-used ingredient in modern cooking — raw in salads, cooked into sauces, sun-dried, canned, or concentrated into paste. Technically a fruit, they are treated as the backbone of savory cooking across the world.
Flavor & Texture
Bright, sweet, and acidic. In-season tomatoes are a different ingredient from winter ones — sugars concentrated by sun make all the difference. Canned tomatoes are often riper and more reliable than fresh off-season.
How to Choose
For eating raw, buy in-season, smell the stem end, and choose fruit that feels heavy for its size. For cooking, canned whole peeled tomatoes are the most consistent choice.
How to Store
Never refrigerate ripe tomatoes — cold kills their flavor and texture. Keep them stem-side down at room temperature, out of direct sun. Canned tomatoes keep for years in the pantry.
How to Prepare
For sauces, no need to peel — crushing and simmering is enough. For salads, salt them 10 minutes ahead to draw out water. A pinch of sugar balances acidity when cooking.
Ways to cook it
Cooking Methods
- Raw
- Slow-simmered sauces
- Roasting
- Grilling
- Frying
- Sun-drying
Out of stock?
Ingredient Substitutions
- Canned crushed or whole tomatoes
- Passata
- Roasted red peppers (for body)
- Tomato paste + water
Put it to work
Popular Tomatoes Recipes
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Creamy Tomato Soup
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Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
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Pairs well with
Related Ingredients
Good to know
Common Questions
Should tomatoes go in the fridge?
No. Cold stops ripening and ruins texture and flavor. Room temperature, stem-side down, is correct.
Fresh or canned for cooking?
Canned, almost always — they are picked ripe and processed immediately. Use fresh only for peak-season summer sauces.
How do I make tomato sauce less acidic?
A pinch of sugar or a knob of butter rounds out acidity, but the best fix is patience — simmering slowly mellows it naturally.