10 Essential Italian Ingredients For Every Home Cook

Stock Your  Pantry With The Best Italian Ingredients You Can Get

If you’ve ever wondered how Italian food manages to taste so incredible using seemingly simple recipes, the secret lies in one thing: quality ingredients. Antonio Carluccio always stressed that a good dish starts with a well-stocked larder.

To help you bring the authentic flavour of Italy to your kitchen, we’ve put together the definitive list of the 10 essential Italian ingredients you must have on hand. Master these, and you can cook almost anything.

1. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Olio Extra Vergine d’Oliva)

This is the foundation of Italian cooking. It’s used for everything: sautéing, finishing dishes, dipping bread, and making dressings.

  • Carluccio's Tip: Keep two types: a robust, peppery oil for cooking, and a delicate, fruity oil for finishing raw dishes like salads or bruschetta. Look for oil from a single estate or a specific region, like our rich Carluccio's Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

2. Quality Dried Pasta (La Pasta) 

While fresh pasta is wonderful, a true Italian pantry is never without high-quality dried pasta. The best is made with durum wheat semolina and extruded through bronze dies (trafilata al bronzo), which gives it a rough surface texture that clings to sauce beautifully.

Orecchiette

3. Tinned Tomatoes (Pomodori Pelati) 

Even in Italy, fresh tomatoes are only excellent for a few months a year. For all other times, a can of high-quality whole peeled tomatoes (San Marzano are the gold standard) is essential for developing a rich, sweet sauce base.

  • Why Whole? They retain their flavour better than chopped varieties, and you can crush them yourself for a fresher taste.

4. Garlic (Aglio) 

Crucial for building a flavour base, especially for sauces and seafood dishes. When used correctly, it should be fragrant, not burnt.

  • The Cheat: Our Carluccio's Garlic Oil gives you that beautiful, infused flavour without the fuss of chopping and worrying about burning the cloves.

5. Cheese (Formaggio) 

Two types are non-negotiable for grating:

  • Parmigiano Reggiano: The king of cheeses, aged for its sharp, salty, crystalline flavour. Perfect for grating over pasta and risottos.

  • Pecorino Romano: A hard, salty cheese made from sheep's milk, essential for Southern and Roman dishes like Cacio e Pepe and Amatriciana.

6. Dried Legumes (I Legumi) 

Embrace Cucina Povera! Dried beans (like cannellini) and lentils are cheap, filling, and form the base of many hearty soups and stews.

  • Stock Up: Our selection of Carluccio's Dried Pulses are perfect for making classic dishes like Pasta e Fagioli.

7. Salt (Sale) and Pepper (Pepe) 

Often overlooked, but the quality of your seasoning transforms a meal. A coarse sea salt is best for boiling pasta water and general seasoning. Freshly ground black pepper is vital for bringing sharpness to rich sauces.

8. Balsamic Vinegar (Aceto Balsamico)

A traditional balsamic vinegar from Modena is deep, sweet, and complex. Use it sparingly over strawberries, Parmigiano, or cured meats.

Balsamic Vinegar

9. Carnaroli Rice 

Essential for making a perfect, creamy Risotto. This short-grain variety is high in starch, allowing it to absorb liquid slowly while releasing creamy texture.

  • The Best: Carnaroli is often considered the superior grain, as it holds its shape slightly better during the stirring process. 

10. Fresh Herbs 

While dried herbs have their place, fresh herbs truly elevate Italian cooking. A small pot of basil, rosemary, or flat-leaf parsley on your windowsill is an investment in flavour.

With these 10 ingredients stocked in your larder, you are ready to cook authentic, beautiful Italian food every night of the week.

Which of these essential ingredients do you need to add to your pantry today?

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