The Italian Pantry: 10 Ingredients, 100 Recipes – Showcasing the Best of Italian Home Cooking

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That’s our guide to the best Italian pastries your must try. Got any questions or suggestions? Let us know in the comments below. In the local dialect, sporcamuss means ‘dirty mouth’. The unusual name highlightsthe fact that it’s pretty much impossible to bite into one without getting cream and sugar all over your mouth and face. Don’t forget to grab a napkin! If you love Italian food and you like preparing it at home, you will need a few staple ingredients, which are always handy to have in your pantry, whether you want to make a simple pasta al pomodoro, or fancier creations using the wonderful foods and flavors of Italian cuisine.

Some cheeses do not require refrigeration, however it’s up to you. I normally keep cheeses in the refrigerator and I take them out earlier to be enjoyed at room temperature as an appetizer with a Prosecco, after a dinner with fruit, or any other occasion.

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From simple pasta dishes and more extravagant dinners for when you have people over, to delectable desserts and classic Italian cakes, you'll delight in Theo's take on the very best of Italian home cooking. Flour: When it comes to flour I ALWAYS have type 00 in my pantry and minimum 2 bags...why? Because it makes the most amazing pizza bases! I'm pretty addicted to pizza and can honestly say that this is the perfect flour for making the best pizzas at home, I also use the same flour for making focaccia. After living it Italy I discovered they also use type 0 flour for pizza bases but it's harder to come by and 00 does that job. A delicacy amongst many culinary cultures; truffles are a beautifully rich fungus that grow beneath the ground – unlike their mushroom cousins. We have a wide range of truffle products, starting with whole truffles of course, followed by an exciting range of options like tapenades, sliced truffles, truffle honey, truffle oil, green and red truffle pesto and much more! Pasticciotto is a popular filled Italian pastry originating from the Puglia region. They consist of a simple short-crust pastry filled with egg custard and are usually eaten hot out of the oven. On of my favorite ways to use capers is to fry them. Frying will make them nice and crisp and perfect for appetizer toppings. They will taste like tiny little chips and who doesn't love chips?;)

Breadcrumbs (Pan grattato) are normally used to coat meat and vegetables when frying or sauteing and also when creating meatballs, meatloaf, or other stuffings. They’re often combined with other herbs and spices but you can make your own using dry Italian bread and adding your own flavorings such as dry oregano, thyme, and rosemary.

Ciao!

The king of hard cheeses, Parmigiano-Reggiano takes its special place in Italian cooking. Rich, sharp and intense flavor with a granular texture make Parmigiano-Reggiano an inevitable part of any recipe. Please note that our menus are subject to change depending on the availability and seasonality of the freshest ingredients. There are two main styles of sfogliatella – riccia and frolla. Riccia means “curly” and is the original version made with flaky, layered pastry. This style is best when freshly baked and hot out of the oven to get its famous crunch. Frolla features a less labour-intensive shortcrust pastry shell, so doesn’t have sfogliatella’s signature thin layers. But it’s still delicious and can be eaten hot or cold. Coffee is another staple of the Italian pantry that very few people in Italy won’t have it on their kitchen shelves. Often when someone’s visiting, you would offer them a caffè, made with ground espresso beans in a stove-top moka. Younger Italians have succumbed to the fast espresso machines using pods and capsules, nonetheless making a perfect caffè every time. Other delicacies

Fruity and a little tart, balsamic vinegar has such a versatile use. Think salad dressings, glaze for meat and fish, drizzle over your favorite appetizers. Try my Easy Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Vinaigrette. But if you are going to cook with olive oil, I suggest getting a bottle of Light or Extra-Light Olive Oil. The lighter oil will sustain higher temperatures while cooking. Tomatoes In the Italian pantry you would also find preserved food, in cans or jars. Tuna ( Tonno) in olive oil is great in a salad with cannellini beans and scallions, or even in a pasta sauce with fresh tomatoes and Capers.Wild-caught Clupea Pilchardus sardines are fished from the Mediterranean and preserved in olive oil.