The “pop” of the can opening, the scent of tomatoes rising before the pot is even on the stove: that is Rega peeled tomatoes, the foundation of every Sunday.

There are some cans you open without thinking, and others that already herald a meal. A kitchen in Italy, a late Sunday morning, the pot warming up, the oil beginning to sizzle. You pour in the whole tomatoes, crush them with the back of a spoon, and the aroma fills the house before anyone has even set the table.

Behind these tomatoes is Rega. According to a British retailer’s website (not the manufacturer), Agriconserve Rega was founded in 1965 by Luigi Rega in the Agro Nocerino-Sarnese, at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, with a simple idea: to dedicate themselves to the tomato, the crop of their land.

You don’t buy peeled tomatoes just to “have a can in the pantry.” You buy them for that evening when there is almost nothing in the fridge, but this can, a clove of garlic, and a bit of pasta are enough to make a real meal.

And somewhere in Canada, on a weeknight when it’s already dark by five o'clock, someone opens this can and lets the sauce simmer. By the time it’s bubbling, the kitchen smells like Italy, and the outside world no longer exists.

The taste

The first spoonful, and the tomato speaks: sweet, rounded, with that little tangy note that awakens everything else. The flesh melts in your mouth, the juices coat your palate, and you find yourself closing your eyes, as if you were seated at the table of a nonna saying "mangia, mangia." The flavor lingers, simple and warm, as does the desire to have more.

Why our customers love them:

• 🍅 Whole peeled tomatoes, ready to crush, simmer, or leave in chunks
• 🍝 A simple base for sauces, pasta, lasagna, and slow-cooked dishes
• 🥘 Perfect for soups, ratatouille, and vegetarian recipes
• 🇮🇹 An Italian brand founded in 1965 in the Nocera-Sarno region
• 👩🍳 And above all: that scent of sauce beginning to simmer, even before you've finished chopping the garlic