Photo Credit: Lindsey Galey
Giada's kitchen isn't complete without these long-lasting ingredients!
My pantry isn't complicated, but there are a few special Italian ingredients that I just can't live without. With just these essentials on hand - plus dried pasta, olive oil, and garlic! - you can always put together a satisfying meal in minutes, or add an Italian twist to those tried-and-true classic recipes that get put on repeat. If you've got a specialty market in your town, you should be able to find everything on this list, or check online at amazon.com or buonitalia.com.
1. Calabrian chile paste: This blend of crushed dried chiles and extra-virgin olive oil gives a mellow, slightly sweet heat that improves everything, from pasta sauces and stews to salad dressings.
2. Parmigiano Reggiano cheese rinds: Stop throwing your cheese rinds away! The hard end of that hunk of parm is just the thing to add a savory depth to soups, stews, and stocks. Save yours in the freezer or ask for them at the cheese department at your local market.
The Secret To A Flavorful Soup or Sauce: Parmesan Rinds!
3. Finocchiona: A fennel-studded dried salami. In a pinch, you can substitute any dry salami, but the herbal notes of true finocchiona are a taste of Tuscany.
4. Oil-packed tuna and anchovies: They might seem like a splurge compared to Chicken of the Sea, but these little jars of fish deliver big flavor in a small package. Toss a jar of tuna and its oil with some spaghetti and toasted garlic and you've got dinner!
Paccheri with Pomodorini and Tuna
Castelvetrano olives: These big, buttery green olives from Sicily have a totally unique flavor unlike the briny green olives you may be used to. They're delicious with aperitivi or tossed in salads
Speck: Similar to prosciutto, speck is a lightly smoked cured ham that gives great flavor to pastas and meat dishes and shines on an antipasti platter.
Sussing out the cheese at Bay Cities!
Cheese: You can never have too much cheese! I make it a point to always have ciliegine (tiny, cherry tomato-sized balls of fresh mozzarella), burrata (soft and delicate, with a creamy interior), and scamorza (a smoked cheese that's a little firmer than mozzarella) in the fridge.
Article by
Giada De Laurentiis
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Giada is a chef, mother, author and restauranteur. She is known as the Emmy-award winning television personality of Food Network’s Everyday Italian, Giada at Home, Giada In Italy, as a judge on Food Network Star, NBC Today Show correspondent, for her eight New York Times best-selling cookbooks and her debut restaurant, GIADA, in Las Vegas. Though most days, you can find her in Los Angeles with her daughter, Jade and kitten, Bella, whipping up something delicious in the kitchen involving parmiggiano reggiano or her weakness, dark chocolate!
