Napoleta' San Marzano Tomatoes

Napoleta' San Marzano PDO Tomatoes by Italianavera, Peeled

Napoleta' San Marzano PDO tomatoes by Italianavera are the protected elongated variety from the Sarno Valley, peeled and preserved in their own juice. Thin skin, few seeds, and a firm texture make them the definitive foundation for any Neapolitan pizza sauce.

Napoleta' San Marzano Tomatoes by Italianavera carry the Protected Designation of Origin and are grown along the Sarno River, canned in the Napoleta' tin named after Naples. Elongated, pointed, and fleshy, they break down faster when heated than round fruit because they contain less water.

Mild, fleshy, and quick to cook

This variety has less acidity and water than round fruit, offering a dense, mild flesh instead. This is exactly what makes them so reliable in slow-cooked dishes, as the sauce maintains its consistency even after an hour.

Crushed in a pan, they break down into a creamy sauce within ten to fifteen minutes, much faster than more water-rich fruit. Cooking them longer adds depth but causes a loss of the fresh note that distinguishes this variety.

The difference is most evident on a pizza, as the sauce stays on the dough instead of softening it in the oven. That is why they are considered the gold standard in Naples for any pie, crushed raw and lightly salted.

The seeds are contained in just a few chambers and are barely noticeable when crushed, giving the sauce its smooth quality. If you prefer it even finer, briefly press them through a sieve after cooking.

Pizza sauce, sugo, and vongole

Beyond pizza, they are perfect for classic pasta sauce, soup, or risotto with a subtle fruitiness, as well as shakshuka and caponata. In sauces for goulash or roast pork, they provide depth without overpowering with acidity.

For vongole and frutti di mare, they provide a mild base that allows the taste of the sea to shine through. In lasagna and cannelloni, they can be pureed or layered in chunks, depending on how fine the filling should be.

A sprig of basil, added only at the end of the cooking time, keeps the fresh side of this fruit alive. Garlic, on the other hand, can go into the olive oil early so its aroma infuses the sauce before it begins to simmer.

The classic pelato tin from the same line are the Napoleta' Canned Tomatoes by Italianavera, and more provisions from Campania are available under Canned and Preserved Goods.

Hand-peeled in the Sarno Valley

The Sarno Valley lies between Mount Vesuvius to the east and the mountains of the Amalfi Coast to the south, on soils made of volcanic ash. This ash stores the heat of the day and releases it at night, giving the fruit its even ripening.

They are peeled after a short blanching, as this is the only way to peel the skin from the fruit in one go. Because the variety is thin-skinned, more flesh remains on the fruit during peeling than with more robust relatives.

After blanching, they are sorted; damaged fruits go into the juice, and the intact ones go into the tin. This way, both come from the same harvest and the same location into the same tin.

The Protected Designation of Origin requires hand-harvesting and cultivation within strictly defined municipal boundaries; otherwise, the name cannot appear on the label. Italianavera adheres to this and therefore writes the full designation on the tin.

Content 400g – Drained weight 240g