In our garden, the nightshades have gone into the ground, and the countdown to tomato season has officially begun. There are few things about summer that I look forward to more than the first backyard tomato harvest. In the meantime, I will continue to make great use out of a much-loved pantry staple, canned tomatoes.

From slow cooked Bolognese to zesty puttanesca, there are countless sauces that start by opening a can of perfectly ripe tomatoes. One such recipe that has garnered a cult following, is for a simple tomato sauce by the late Marcella Hazan, which makes magic out of just four i...