Breakdown of Preparo la salsa di pomodoro.
di
of, from
il pomodoro
the tomato
preparare
to prepare
la salsa
the sauce
Questions & Answers about Preparo la salsa di pomodoro.
The translation says "I make", so why does the Italian use preparo instead of faccio?
While faccio means "I make", Italians often use preparare (to prepare) when talking about cooking or putting a recipe together. You can safely think of it as "I am preparing the tomato sauce."
Why is it salsa di pomodoro instead of just pomodoro salsa?
What is the difference between salsa and sugo?
Both can translate to "sauce," but they are used slightly differently. A salsa is usually a smooth, basic puree (like blended raw or briefly cooked tomatoes), whereas a sugo is a richer, cooked sauce with a base of oil, onions, or meat, meant specifically to dress pasta.
Why is it just di pomodoro and not del pomodoro?
When describing the flavor or main ingredient of a dish, Italian uses the simple preposition di without adding "the" (the definite article). So it is always salsa di pomodoro, never salsa del pomodoro.