I was a die-hard canned tomato snob until a $1.50 bag changed my mind

For years I refused to buy anything but San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes (you know, the $4 cans) for my pasta sauce. But last month our grocery budget got tight, so I grabbed a bag of store-brand Roma tomatoes for $1.50 on a whim. I roasted them with garlic and olive oil at 400 for 30 minutes, then blitzed them in the blender. The sauce came out way sweeter and thicker than my usual stuff, no sugar added. Has anyone else had a cheap ingredient actually beat the fancy version in a direct taste test?

2 comments

2 Comments

cameron68415h agoTop Commenter

My buddy swore by expensive San Marzano until his girlfriend grabbed a bag of the cheap romas and his mom actually liked the bagged ones better at dinner... he's still mad about it though.

gavincampbell16h ago

Wait, you dumped expensive imported cans for bagged tomatoes from the produce section? That's like swapping a tailored suit for a t-shirt from a gas station.