Shop All About Tomatoes Colavita's line of Italian tomatoes brings versatility, vibrant color, and deep flavors to dishes of all cuisines. Here’s all you need to know about Colavita’s tomatoes and how to use them. Tomatoes, like olive oil, are a pillar of Italian cooking. Fresh or canned, the various types offer different flavor profiles, but the acidic nature of this vine fruit balances out its sweetness making it a versatile ingredient. Whether you’re making an eggplant parmigiana or a slow-cooked Bolognese sauce, it’s only as good as the quality of the tomatoes that you use. Diced or Crushed? Looking to add some Colavita tomatoes to your dinner, but unsure of which to use? While each is used for a different purpose, they both are guaranteed to add flavor and vibrance to any dish you put together. Can you substitute crushed for diced tomatoes? The answer isn’t that simple. Consider the recipe, the texture of the meal and determine the purpose of the tomatoes in the dish before deciding. If the tomatoes are more of a base than a main star, a swap may work. Diced: In Italian cooking, diced tomatoes are used in dishes such as Ribollita Soup and Beef Peposo to name a few. For these recipes, it’s not recommended to swap diced for crushed tomatoes. However, Colavita believes that cooking is part skill and part preference. Take chili for example. Some prefer to bite into chunks of tomatoes, while others prefer a smooth base for the meat and beans. Looking for new ideas to use those diced tomatoes in your pantry? Try some of these Colavita recipes! Fall Vegetable Minestra Pasta e Fagioli soup Bucatini all’Amatriciana Chicken and Chickpea Stew Bison and bean Chili Tomato Cobbler Beef Stew Pot Pie Crushed: Crushed tomatoes are accompanied by tomato puree giving them a saucier consistency than diced. In Italian cooking, crushed tomatoes are best used as bases for sauces like a Bolognese, pizza, eggplant and chicken parmigiana, lasagnas to name a few. When deciding if diced can be swapped for crushed, the same approach mentioned previously follows. However, in a pinch, diced tomatoes can be blended to emulate crushed. Looking for new ideas to use those diced tomatoes in your pantry? Try some of these Colavita recipes! Margherita Pizza Eggplant Parm Chicken Parm Classic Marinara Penne alla Vodka Cavatelli Bolognese A Word on Passata … Passata or “strained tomatoes” are those that have been passed through a sieve to remove seeds and lumps resulting in a smoother consistency. The tomatoes are generally uncooked and have no puree, seasonings or other additives. Passata is best in dishes calling for a fresh tomato flavor but works well as a simple pizza sauce and is a good alternative for crushed tomatoes in a chicken parmigiana recipe. While it does have a more intense flavor, passata can be used in place of crushed tomatoes. Colavita Tomatoes Grown on the sun-drenched vines of Po Valley in northern Italy, all of our tomatoes come from quality farms that ensure the freshest Italian produce possible. Only the plumpest, ripest, juiciest tomatoes with just the right color intensity, texture and depth of flavor are selected. Additionally, in an effort to increase our sustainability efforts, our line of premium Italian tomatoes come in Tetrapak Tetra Recard carton packaging. We’re also proud to be able to say our tomatoes are GMO-free with no salt added, as well as Kosher OU certified in accordance with Jewish dietary lay. A trusted family brand, Colavita started out in Italy, making Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Colavita offers the widest selection of fine Italian products in one place. Quick Links News Partnerships Colavita Pizza Truck Colavita Center for Food and Wine Shop Our Blog Team Colavita Join Our Trusted Family Contact 1 Runyons Lane Edison NJ 08817 usa@colavita.com (732) 404-8300 Questions or concerns? Click here to contact us. Subscribe Want recipes, cooking tips, and deals delivered to your inbox only twice a month? Sign up now to save, learn, and eat! Subscribe © 2020 Colavita. All Rights Reserved.