Without a doubt, there are millions of dishes in which the tomato is one of the principle ingredients, or in which it is used as the base for recipes. This could be due to its renowned health benefits, flavor, versatility and/or its vibrant color and Heaven knows the tomato has traveled a long way since the ancient Aztecs, to finally find itself in our own recipes.

The tomato accompanied corn, potatoes, hot pepper (pepperoncino) and the sweet potato on its journey to Spain at the beginning of the 1600's (during the crossing voyages of Cristoforo Colombo).

Tomatoes were diffused around the whole of the Mediterranean, as the climate was very adapting to their growth, especially in the Nocerino-Sarnese region of Italy between Naples and Salerno. The oldest Italian recipe that is known which incorporates the tomato, is the "Salsa di Pomodoro alla Spagnola" literally Spanish Tomato Sauce and likely showed up in 1692.

The San Marzano tomatoes are famous for their wonderful, natural sweetness. Grown in the town of San Marzano at the base of Mount Vesuvius, southeast of Naples, the volcanic soil and sunny climate create plum tomatoes that are among the most sought-after on earth. They have an elongated shape, believed to be a mutation, with only two seed pockets, whereas most tomatoes have five to seven. Due to the natural sweetness, sauces made with them need no added sugar.