You can buy the tomatoes used at Pepe's in New Haven at your grocery store!

[scott r]

A few years ago I was getting a little TOO into pizzamaking and started doing a lot of dumpster diving at the pizzerias around NY, NJ, Connecticut, and Boston.  I found out what the brands were that are being used at Pepe's and was a little sad to find out that it was hard for me to get their tomatoes where I live.   Well, the other day I found the tomatoes used at pepe's at an Italian market  in Providence, and was quite surprised to find the ROA1 can code on top of the pepe's product.  As many of you know, im fond of the cento tomatoes that have the ROA1 code on top, and I wanted to make sure they were in fact the same.  Just to make sure I bought the big #10 can pepe's is using, and compared it to the smaller can of cento italian tomatoes sold at many grocery stores (not to be confused with the italian "style" or san marzanos that cento also sells).   Guess, what, it is indeed the same product!    If your hell bent on an exact recreation of pepe's sauce, you can feel good knowing that the cento italian whole peeled tomatoes are in fact the same!  Enjoy!   

[wheelman]

scott, are all of the "certified" or the old "dop certified" Centos the same?  i don't see that code on my cans. none of them have any code on top, just a longer one on the bottom.  am i missing out on the good stuff?
bill

[scott r]

For some reason I have always preferred the ROA can code centos to all the other ones.    It was an interesting validation to find out that they are actually the same tomatoes that pepe's is using (with a different label in a bigger can).  Certified and dop certified are good too....but not the same.   

[PizzaBrewer]

I was getting a little TOO into pizzamaking   

How is that possible??

LOL

[wheelman]

oh, got it.  i'll have to try the Italian ones instead of the certified ones.
thanks

[chickenparm]

I have used that can of Cento before and I bought another one over the weekend.Its a small 2 lb 35 OZ can,cento Italian peeled tomatoes.

The top of the can,is stamped CENTO N 240. 28/08/2013.

On the bottom is the stamping ROA 1 L3 08:30 then beneath it is Pelati N 240.

I'm not out to make a Pepe's clone sauce,but I really did like these tomatoes the last time I used these for a sauce.I did not know about the ROA code either or what any of that means either.Sadly the only store around that carries this can,is a Kroger's food store,and they are 35 miles away.I would love a larger can but they only sell the 35 ounce size.

I bought the last one they had over the weekend.If these prove themselves again,I may try and order a case from someone.