The Tomatoes Alex Guarnaschelli Uses Instead Of San Marzanos For Better Sauce (Sorry, Ina)

When it comes to making tomato sauce, there is one particular Italian variety that you'll see pop up in recipes time and time again: San Marzanos. These plump and juicy plum tomatoes are renowned for their sauce-making capabilities because of their flavor, meaty texture, and the lack of too many seeds. San Marzanos, which grow mainly in the Campania region of Italy, are also less acidic than other varieties, and they can be noticeably sweeter too. But every cook has their preferences, and for Alex Guarnaschelli, it's actually yellow beefsteak tomatoes that reign king at certain times of the year.

The celebrity chef previously spoke with Tasting Table about olive oil and pasta ahead of the U.S. Open's Flavors of the Open event, for which she was planning to make a sauce using yellow beefsteak tomatoes. According to Guarnaschelli, the summertime specialty is perfect for a lighter, vinaigrette type sauce that's extremely easy to dress up. She said, "I find [yellow tomatoes] lower in acid, and they're very fleshy. They create a lot of texture in the sauce."

Her recipe requires a minimal list of ingredients, like garlic, olive oil, oregano, shallots, red pepper flakes, and white rice vinegar, to highlight the rich flavor of the tomatoes, which are naturally sweet and a little tangy. "It's really about that fleshy tomato," Guarnaschelli told us. "It's kind of mellow, but very flavorful."

Alex Guarnaschelli's opinion might be at odds with some other cooks, like Ina Garten, who is a big San Marzano fan. The Barefoot Contessa highly recommends the variety, calling it "the best", on her website. She has also shared her love for San Marzanos through her cooking shows. In one video where she breaks down her penne arrabiata recipe for Food Network, she says, "I think San Marzano are the best quality canned tomatoes (via YouTube)."

The main difference between San Marzanos and yellow tomatoes like yellow beefsteaks really comes down to the sweetness. The latter have more natural sugars, so they taste best when they're barely toyed with. Because of this, they suit a fast cooking pasta sauce much better than a slow-simmered one, which is where San Marzanos shine. A sauce made with yellow beefsteak tomatoes will also have a much brighter color and chunkier texture, as the rind doesn't break down as much. 

You can try out Guarnaschelli's recipe whenever the season is right, whipping up some spaghetti or gnocchi to go with it. Yellow tomato sauce also makes for a delicious take on a veggie lovers pizza, a vegetarian meatballs recipe, or a more fresh and vibrant Bloody Mary. Yellow tomatoes go very well with seafood too. You can still keep San Marzanos on hand for certain occasions, but there's nothing wrong with having a variety of tomato types in your arsenal — especially when summer strikes.