15+ Pantry Essentials For Italian Cooking

It’s recommended to always keep both regular pure olive oil and extra virgin olive oil on hand. I use olive oil in nearly all of my cooking. Goodbye veggie oil – olive oil is what’s needed.

Use regular olive oil for frying things like chicken piccata or cutlets. Extra virgin is best for salads, sautéing, and any dish where you want the oil to add flavor.

First cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil has less acidity and more flavor, which is why it’s my go-to.

We go through a lot of garlic in my house. It’s a staple for so many Italian recipes, from pasta sauces to beef roasts. I recommend buying more than one head at a time.

Try to find U.S.-grown garlic since it’s fresher and supports local farmers.

Fortunately, onions are used in so many cuisines so you probably already have these in your kitchen! Did you know they are used a lot in Italian cooking too?

Onions are incredibly versatile and essential for pasta sauces, soups, stews, and more. I usually buy yellow onions, but other varieties work too. Just make sure to store them in a dry place.

Italians love their olives! I always have on hand kalamata olives, but I also try to keep the Italian black olives and Italian green olives on hand as well. It’s more of a Mediterranean vibe with some of these olives and I’m okay with that.

I also find that buying them pitted saves times and less chance of me missing one when pitting them manually.

I often will substitute pitted Spanish olives in exchange for the Italian green olives if needed. Depending on the brand, the more authentic Italian green olives have a very strong taste and taste better when cooked in a recipe.

It’s much better to have separate spice jars of each dried herb individually, rather than using a combined Italian mix of dried herbs.
This way you have full control over the flavor and intensity of the dish.

My most common Italian herbs I keep on hand are basil, parsley, oregano and rosemary.

Fresh basil is a must-have for many summer recipes. It adds an aromatic flavor to sauces, salads, and other easy pasta recipes. I sometimes make a simple meal by tossing pasta with olive oil, fresh basil, and cheese—easy and delicious.

There are lots of types of canned tomatoes at the grocery store, and I recommend keeping a variety on hand. Common types are whole tomatoes, diced, and crushed tomatoes. Canned tomatoes are the base for so many Italian sauces, soups, and stews.

Check out my article on the differences between tomato puree and tomato sauce!

Another essential Italian food to keep on hand is dried pasta. But there are so many types of pasta, which ones should you keep on hand? I I try to keep a variety of different shapes like spaghetti, penne, rigatoni, ziti, ravioli and fettuccine or linguini to keep things interesting and versatile.

Use thinner pasta shapes with more delicate sauces, and thicker noodles for heavier sauces.

Authentic Parmigiano-Reggiano is perfect for grating over pasta, risottos, and soups. It adds a rich, nutty flavor that’s hard to beat.

However, another common Italian cheese that is a must-have for our home is Pecorino Romano, which is often abbreviated as just Romano cheese. This has a very sharp flavor and a little goes a long way. I use this on top of my pasta dishes all the time.

It’s important to keep in mind that low quality cheeses are void of flavor. This results in bland food. We buy our cheese in whole blocks at BJs Wholesale and grind it ourselves. We buy a good brand that might cost a little more than the prepackaged ones but the extra investment goes a long way!

Try to acquire brand name cheeses that are good quality… without breaking your budget.

When it comes to vinegars, there are essentially 4 types I always keep on hand.
Balsamic vinegar – A good balsamic vinegar is a must for adding acidity and depth to salads such as my cherry tomato caprese salad! It’s also great with many of my Italian chicken recipes.
Red or White Wine Vinegar – these are always good to have on hand. I usually have both in my pantry but often substitute one for the other if I only have one kind available.
Apple Cider Vinegar – I’ve found that this vinegar has so many health properties that I use it for about 90% of my vinegar requirements for dressings and salads.

This may not be an absolutely essential ingredients, but I often find myself needing to reach for these and getting frustrated when I can’t find them. They make a big difference in certain recipes and are great to have on hand. These tiny, tangy buds add a burst of flavor to pasta dishes, salads, and sauces on dishes like chicken piccata.

For a little kick, red pepper flakes are great to have on hand. They’re perfect for spicing up sauces, pizzas, and pasta. They last forever and are nice to grab when needed. I used to never enjoy these hot flakes but my tastes have changed and I love having them always in the pantry!

You can skip this one if you’re not a meat eater, but having chicken breasts on hand in the freezer is a must. So many Italian recipes from Italian soups to main dishes use chicken. Check out my Italian chicken recipes for some inspiration!

Whether you make your own homemade breadcrumbs or buy them at the store, these are a must. From pasta with breadcrumbs to chicken cutlets, you’ll need them for Italian cooking.

I like to make my own plain breadcrumbs and then keep them in freezer safe containers. They’ll store in the freezer for up to 6 months.

It’s always best to use fresh vegetables when they are in season, especially if grown in your garden. But the vegetables I use all year that I consider essential are zucchini, tomatoes, broccoli (I buy it frozen), green peppers, and sometimes eggplant.

Another favorite are Roma beans which are fantastic in Italian dishes. They add vibrant color and fresh flavor.

And don’t forget fresh lettuce. Not iceburg lettuce, but loose leaf or romaine.

Red or white wine is often used in Italian recipes, especially special recipes like carbonara or other similar pasta or rice dishes. I don’t use it as much as I could, but it’s nice to have some bottles on hand – either red or white.

Most of the time it’s a dry wine that is required. If you’re wondering what to do with the leftover wine in the bottle after making the recipe, just serve it with the meal!