Twenty Italian Pantry Staples

With travel to Italy somewhat challenging these days, now is a time to curate your ideal Italian pantry.  Sure, Italian ingredients are more available than ever.  But don’t waste your money buying extremely expensive imported oddities.  Most Italian homes, especially Neapolitan ones, feature a few staples — dried pasta, tomato passata, oregano and olive oil.  Never have I seen an overcrowded spice cabinet in Naples.  The basics are simply salt, pepper, oregano. 

As I have traveled between America and Italy over the years, I quickly tired of loading suitcases full of Italian ingredients to make the transatlantic journey. Instead, I have found nearly all of my Italian pantry staples in the US at your average super market.  Occasionally, I may splurge on an Amazon order (for some reason bucatini pasta is really hard to find in America1). But mostly I fill my pantry with affordable Italian essentials, making it possible to replicate all of our favorite Southern Italian meals in my native California.  

Over the years, I have developed my list of Italian pantry essentials below.  Everything is widely available in supermarkets and fairly affordable. 

 1)    Extra Virgin Olive Oil

I cannot cook without olive oil.  Cooking fats change from region to region in Italy, but olive oil is the most ubiquitous, especially in the warm summer months.  In America, I buy 3 qt tins of cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil. My favorites are Partanna, a spicy Sicilian olive oil and De Carlo an unctuous Pugliese oil. Buy in bulk and pour into a squeeze bottle for easy use.  

2)    Dried Oregano 

I hated cooking with dried oregano until I moved to Agerola and started drying my own and storing in jars.  Mostly the store bought oregano in America is bland and lacks aroma.  To remedy this, buy oregano on the branch and crush into glass jars. Alternately you can grow the oregano yourself, dry on trays in the hot sun and sprinkle into glass jars.  You will immediately notice the difference in flavor and aroma.  Oregano will actually taste like something! Also, never buy any jars of herbs that claim to be “Italian Seasoning.”  There is nothing Italian about these terrible, flacid blends that include rosemary, thyme, dried garlic and God knows what else.  We would never sprinkle dried rosemary into a tomato sauce in Naples!

3)    Tomato Passata 

Tomato passata, often called tomato purée in America is essential to producing Neapolitan ragù, pizza sauce and lasagna.  Most America tomato purée is sold in cans and is predictably shitty.  I absolutely only buy glass jars of imported San Marzano tomato passata, which is lately available in most supermarkets. Pomi is good. Mutti is better. I promise the good stuff is worth the expense. I have tried every single canned tomato product widely available in America.  Nothing comes close to Mutti. Never buy tomato products with basil already in them.  Southern Italians say this causes cancer. Frankly, I just think it tastes bad.  Add your seasoning as you cook your tomato sauce. Avoid all pre-seasoned jarred sauces, especially those advertised as “Marinara.”  Marinara is a kind of pizza, not sauce! 

4)    Tomato Paste

Always keep a tube of highly concentrated tomato pasta in your pantry to thicken and sweeten sauces.  Cento is my favorite. Don’t buy paste in a can! You will never use all of it in time.  The tube is convenient and reliable.  Stay away from all brands that also sell ketchup!

5)    Canned Whole Peeled San Marzano Tomatoes

San Marzano is still the king of tomatoes.  They are specifically grown to preserve in sauces.  A canned whole San Marzano will be better than most fresh tomatoes available outside of Italy.  Never buy crushed tomatoes or chopped tomatoes.  They are gross and will never produce a proper sauce.  For almost all of our sauces, I use tomato passata. Occasionally, to produce a thicker more rustic sauce, I will include whole peeled tomatoes.  Always San Marzano, from the volcanic slopes of Vesuvius.  

6)    Dried Pasta 

Good dried pasta is made of Italian durum wheat and slow dried at low temperatures to ensure even cooking and shape.  The best dried pasta in Italy is from Gragnano, outside of Napoli.  If you want to splurge, buy Afeltra or Di Martino. For everyday use, buy De Cecco. Any Southern Italian will tell you that Barilla is shit! Also, pretty much all domestic dried pasta is very, very bad.  Buy Italian durum wheat dried pasta.  

7)    Salt Packed Anchovies 

Salt packed anchovies add hidden hits of umami to a variety of unexpected stews and drizzles. I order tins from Agostino Recca and pack in an hermetic plastic container that I keep in the fridge.  Even those who insist they hate anchovies will slurp up secret sauces containing anchovy without ever suspecting a fishy thing. 

8)    Kosher Salt

You can’t boil pasta without a lot of kosher salt.  I keep boxes of Morton Coarse Kosher Salt in my pantry and in a little salt crock for easy access.  This is my go-to salt.  Maldon is also good for finishing.  All other iodized salts are bad.  Stay away! 

9)    Dried Porcini Mushrooms

Many a dinner has been saved with a little pack of dried porcini mushrooms. Rehydrate in hot water and you have both a stock and a shroom.  Add to a little tagliatelle and butter and you have dinner! Also excellent for risotto.

 10) Lemon Juice 

Always keep a bottle of fresh squeezed lemon juice.  Most Italian salad “dressings” are merely olive oil and lemon juice.  Stop buying gross, sugary jarred dressing.  The lemon is your friend.  

11) Balsamic Vinegar 

A note of caution about balsamic— use sparingly.  I don’t know what has happened in America but balsamic is like the new ketchup.  Good balsamic vinegar from modena is an occasional indulgence to be lightly drizzled over a slow cooked minestrone soup, a simple green salad or strawberry reduction.  Please don’t put balsamic vinegar on Caprese salad! And when in doubt, just leave it out.  

12) White Wine Vinegar 

Cheap white wine vinegar is simply used to preserve seasonal vegetables.  Rarely do we use for salad dressings.  Keep a tub in your pantry for rare use aside from vegetable preservation or to make zucchini scapece. 

13) 00 Flour 

When I’m in America, we make pizza every Friday night. And to make good pizza you need 00 Flour.  The cheapest and easiest way to purchase is 10 pound bags from Caputo on Amazon.  

14) Almond Flour 

Many delicious Southern Italian recipes including the Caprese tart include almond flour.  King Arthur is one of the best. 

15) All Purpose Flour

A universal pantry staple, this flour is also essential in Italian cooking.  I use to make fresh pasta, bread and béchamel.  

16) Arborio Rice

To make risotto, you’ll need a good short grain rice. Arborio, Carnaroli and Nano rice is best.  Make sure you buy vacuum sealed. 

17) Cracked Black Pepper 

Italians are funny about black pepper.  Pregnant women aren’t supposed to eat it.  It causes dyspepsia and a bad attitude. But many Neapolitan dishes including peppered mussels and Tarallo are incomplete without it. 

18) Reggiano Parmesan Cheese 

Always keep a hunk of properly wrapped imported Reggiano parmesan in your fridge.  This will save almost any meal. It’s also a great source of calcium! 

19) Olive Oil Packed Tuna 

I keep jars of high quality olive oil packed tuna in my pantry always. These tuna filets are so much better than what you find in cans. You can turn into a fine salad with shaved onions, butter lettuce and toasted bread.  No need for excessive mayonnaise when you have good quality tuna. 

20) Dried Red Peppers 

Keep a bag of dried peppers in your pantry to make any Italian dish arrabiato (spicy! And angry!). The best pepper for this use in the United States is the dried chile de árbol.