Tomatoes & Sauces Buying Guide: Which Jar or Can to Choose
By Giadzy by Giada De Laurentiis | Published: 2026-10-16
Category: Buying Guides
A practical canned tomatoes buying guide: compare pomodorini vs datterini tomatoes, learn how to choose canned tomatoes for sauce, and match the right can to the right dish.
Quick answer
Buy canned tomatoes by the job they need to do, not by brand alone. Choose whole unpeeled pomodorini when you want a balanced, gently sweet sauce with real tomato pieces, and choose unpeeled yellow datterini when you want a naturally sweeter, lower-seed sauce that needs less added sugar. For chunky ragù or thick vegetable sauces, pair either tomato with a hearty shape like caserecce, and skip added salt by seasoning with a salt-free herb blend.
Match the can to the sauce you're actually making
Whole unpeeled tomatoes in juice give you control. Because the tomatoes are left whole, you decide whether to crush them by hand for a rustic texture or blend them smooth. That flexibility is why whole canned tomatoes are usually the better starting point for long-simmered sauces, while pre-crushed or pureed tomatoes are better for quick weeknight sauces where texture doesn't matter much.
If your sauce cooks for less than 20 minutes, the tomato itself has to carry the flavor. If it simmers for an hour or more, the tomato mostly needs balance and acidity rather than intense sweetness, because concentration will amplify whatever is already in the can.
Pomodorini vs datterini: the real difference
Both are small cherry-type tomatoes, but they behave differently in the pan. Pomodorini are bite-sized and bell-shaped, grown in Campania, with a balance of sweetness and acidity that keeps a sauce from tasting flat. Datterini are oval with fewer seeds and are naturally sweeter than a standard cherry tomato. That sweetness is the deciding factor: if you normally add a pinch of sugar to tame an acidic sauce, start with datterini instead.
The trade-off is that datterini's sweetness can dominate a savory dish. For a sauce built on garlic, chili, and olive oil, pomodorini's acidity gives you more contrast. For a sauce where you want the tomato itself to be the star, datterini earns its place.
Check the packing liquid and the ingredient list
Tomatoes packed in their own juice taste more like tomatoes than those packed in thick puree, which can mute the fruit and add body you may not want. Read the label for what's actually in the can: tomatoes, tomato juice, and maybe salt. If salt is listed, taste before you season. If it isn't, you have full control over the final seasoning, which matters when you're reducing a sauce and salt concentrates along with everything else.
Pair the tomato with the right pasta shape
Sauce clings to texture, not to smoothness. A shape with curves, ridges, or hollows gives a chunky sauce somewhere to sit, so every bite carries tomato rather than just coated starch. Smooth, thin sauces work with almost any shape, but thick, meaty, or vegetable-heavy sauces need a shape that can hold them without collapsing.
Decision rules: pick your can in 30 seconds
- If you want a balanced, savory sauce with visible tomato pieces: Start with whole unpeeled pomodorini in tomato juice. Crush by hand for rustic texture or blend for smooth. Their sweet-acid balance holds up to garlic, chili, and olive oil without tasting flat. Best all-purpose starting point for long-simmered sauces.
- If you want a naturally sweeter sauce and fewer seeds: Choose whole unpeeled yellow datterini. They are oval with fewer seeds and the highest sugar content of any tomato variety, so you can skip added sugar. Use the whole can, juice included. Ideal when the tomato should be the star, not a supporting player.
- If your sauce is chunky, meaty, or vegetable-heavy: Pair it with a shape that holds sauce, like caserecce. Its scrolled curls absorb sauce so every bite is extra-flavorful, and it stands up to hearty ragùs. Match shape to sauce texture, not just to tomato type.
- If you're watching salt or want full seasoning control: Check whether your tomatoes are packed with salt, then season with a salt-free herb blend like Tuscan Grill, which combines rosemary, thyme, and sweet fennel. Taste after reducing, since salt concentrates as sauce cooks down. Season at the end, not the beginning, when using salted tomatoes.
Product facts
- Whole Corbara Pomodorini Tomatoes: Whole, unpeeled pomodorini in tomato juice: bite-sized, bell-shaped cherry tomatoes grown in Campania, with a balance of sweetness and acidity. The corbarino variety is prized by connoisseurs alongside its neighbor, San Marzano. The whole, unpeeled format lets you crush or blend to your preferred texture, and the sweet-acid balance means you can build a savory sauce without adding sugar.
- Whole Spring Unpeeled Yellow Datterini Tomatoes: Whole, unpeeled yellow datterini tomatoes preserved in their own juice, oval with fewer seeds and naturally sweeter than standard cherry tomatoes. Yellow datterini have the highest sugar content of any tomato variety. If you want a sweeter sauce with less added sugar and fewer seeds, start here. Use the whole can, juice included, for pure summer flavor.
- Organic Caserecce Pasta: Organic caserecce pasta from Sicily: scrolled, curled shapes originally formed by rolling dough around a thin wooden rod. A hearty choice for chunky sauces like meaty ragù, absorbing sauce into its many curls. The curls trap chunky tomato sauce so each bite carries more flavor, making caserecce a strong match for pomodorini or datterini sauces with visible pieces.
- Tuscan Grill Herb Blend: Tuscan Grill herb blend: rosemary, thyme, sweet fennel, and other slow-dried herbs, salt-free. Crafted to complement grilled meats of all kinds. A salt-free blend lets you season a tomato sauce without adding sodium, so you control the final salt level. It also adds herbal depth when you're working with sweet datterini tomatoes.
Who this guide is for
Best for
- Home cooks who want a repeatable way to choose between canned tomato types
- Anyone building pasta sauces from scratch and unsure whether to add sugar
- Shoppers comparing pomodorini and datterini tomatoes for the first time
- Cooks who want to control sodium by choosing unsalted tomatoes and salt-free seasoning
Not for
- Shoppers looking for pre-made jarred pasta sauce rather than canned tomatoes
- Cooks who want a single all-purpose can and don't care about texture or sweetness differences
- Anyone seeking fresh tomatoes for raw or uncooked preparations
