10 Essential Italian Ingredients

Jul 31

2 min read

#italianingredients #italiankitchen #italianfood #learnitaliannow

A table with an Italian spread. Pasta, wine, and fruits.

10 Essential Ingredients For Every Kitchen

I grew up in a town an hour outside of Milan. When I was younger, every Sunday my grandparents would host dinner for the entire family. My grandparents would prepare a three course meal for 20+ people every week. Flash forward to 2024, I can barely manage to "cook" a Marie Calendar's Beef and Broccoli Bowl without feeling the pressure of heating up a meal for one. Non giudicatemi male! (Don't judge me in a bad way BUT yes you can ahahaha!)

Here are some of the ingredients my grandparents would always have stocked.

Italian Seasonings

Just a few spices to get any Italian kitchen started!

Salt & Pepper (sale e pepe)
Parsley (il prezzemolo)
Basil (il basilico)
Garlic (l'aglio) - For bread and vampire slayings, etc.
Oregano (l'origano)

Grains (il grano)

Rice (il riso) for risotto. A perfect comfort meal.

Flour (la farina)

I biscotti di nonna wouldn't be complete without flour. Around the holidays, homemade Italian cookies (i biscotti) are a worldwide treat.

Roma Tomatoes (i pomodori romani)

A staple in any kitchen, but especially an Italian kitchen. Homemade pasta sauce is often the first recipe passed down through the generations.

Lemons (i limoni)

Limoncello, limoncello, limoncello!

A lemon is a perfect addition to any cold beverage.

Olive Oil (l'olio)

Basta! (Stop!) making pasta if you're not using oil. Pair with a few more ingredients to make a delicious, and quick, Italian dressing.

Cheese (il formaggio)

You couldn't possibly think I would forget to add cheese. Not too far from my hometown is a city named Parma. Parmesan cheese is just one of the many things Parma has to offer, but it's definitely an essential Italian ingredient to the most basic to advanced Italian chef.

Bread (il pane)

Garlic, bruschetta, ciabatta, formaggio. Italians love their bread.

Pasta (la pasta)

Pasta, whether homemade or store bought, a good pasta can transform a bad day into a good day with just a few ingredients and 30-minutes of your time.

Salami (i salumi)

Fun fact. What Americans call pepperoni's are what Italians consider salami. I had a student once tell me they liked to eat Hormel Turkey Pepperoni's. Il mio cuore (my heart). Turkey cannot be pepperoni. Dio mio!

Lemons (i limoni)

If you're traveling to Southern Italy, near Sorrento or Napoli, you'll find lemon tree groves along the roadside and many, many amazing lemon dishes, such as Lemon Risotto (risotto di limone), Lemon Tart (tarte al limone), or a personal favorite Lemon Pasta (pasta al limone).