Stock the following five ingredient staples of Italian cooking, and you will be all set to go with cooking Italian or adding a bit of Italian flavor to any dish. I’ve listed them in the order of my favorite ingredients.
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
I used extra virgin olive oil in almost everything, from sauteing to baking! It has a wonderfully fruity taste that makes even boxed brownies taste rich. It is the purest form of olive oil and the healthiest, full of good fat.
Fresh Mozzarella
There are very few Italian dishes that wouldn’t benefit from fresh mozzarella cheese. Put it on a pizza, in a sandwich or a baked dish. Marinate it or fry it. Serve it hot and melted or cold. Yum. Fresh mozzarella cheese comes in balls, and the different sizes are named differently, such as Ovolini (egg size) and Ciliegine (cherry size). Buffalo mozzarella is the most prized and the most expensive. Manteca is fresh mozzarella formed around a lump of butter (don’t ask).
Garlic, Oregano, Basil and Spices
Garlic is best fresh and bought often for the best most moist flavor. If you have to for convenience, choose minced garlic in a jar instead of powdered garlic. Stock both fresh and dried versions of staple spices, such as oregano, basil and parsley. They have so many uses.
Pasta
There are hundreds of styles and shapes of pasta. While some are more suited for certain types of sauces than others, pasta is so versatile, that there are thousands of combinations to try. Beside traditional dried pasta, there is also fresh pasta, filled pasta, protein pasta, fiber pasta, even gluten-free pasta out there to try.
Tomatoes
Ah tomatoes. Give me some sweet ones, plus the above mentioned fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, olive oil and some crusty bread, and I have one of my favorite sandwiches in the world. Plus, you can’t make a good marinara sauce without great tomatoes. Tomato pie is a real favorite in our house when tomatoes are in season. Always get them fresh if you can.
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