Selecting the Best Tomatoes for Neapolitan Pizza

When it comes to crafting an authentic Neapolitan pizza, your choice of tomato is crucial. On classic pizzas like Marinara or Margherita, your tomato sauce must strike the perfect balance of consistency, acidity, freshness, and flavor to complement the simple yet iconic toppings.

But what makes the perfect tomato sauce? Should it be cooked beforehand? Should you crush it by hand, with a mill, or perhaps an immersion blender? And how dense should the sauce be?

The Ideal Tomato for Neapolitan Pizza

According to the official guidelines of the Art of Neapolitan Pizzaiuolo, recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, the tomato used for Marinara and Margherita must be either fresh or whole peeled. If using peeled tomatoes, Italian Plum and San Marzano varieties are preferred. These should be drained and crushed by hand to achieve the desired texture.

When preparing tomatoes for Neapolitan pizza, consider these key factors:

• Density: The tomato sauce shouldn’t be overly thick, as it needs to blend well with the other ingredients and bake properly in a high-heat oven.
• Freshness: Using tomatoes harvested and canned just a few hours later preserves their natural flavor.
• Acidity: The right balance of sweetness and acidity is essential, so the tomato should be at the ideal ripeness.
• Flavor: In adherence to the Verace Pizza guidelines, tomatoes must be salted before use, not directly on the dough, to enhance the taste during baking.

For those seeking to replicate the true taste of Naples, VPN-certified Ciao tomatoes meet and exceed all these standards, ensuring your Neapolitan pizza is as authentic as possible.

To explore more about selecting the right tomatoes and other tips, learn more from Ciao on this topic.