Ingredients

It’s no secret that ingredients are the most important part of Italian cooking. I’m always looking for higher-quality ingredients and have made many changes over the years. Consider this a work in progress.

Category	Ingredient	Used For	Rationale	Where to Buy
MACARONI	De Cecco	Quick pasta meals	This is one of the better commercial macaroni brands in Italy that is also widely available in the USA and relatively inexpensive. De Cecco has better texture than Barilla.	Amazon
MACARONI	Giuseppe Cocco	Quick pasta meals	Artisan pastas use better ingredients and an even slower drying process which gives it a paler yellow color. The ones I’ve tried so far are definitely a little better than De Cecco, but they usually cost twice as much here in the States, so it all depends on your budget. Italian reviewers often have Rummo near the top of their lists, but we did not like it at all. So far, we are most happy with Giuseppe Cocco, as shown to the left, even if that is not a well-known brand in Italy (though we have seen it at Mercato Trionfale in Rome). Those mezzi rigatoni are particularly versatile. Of course, nothing can beat homemade egg pasta, and I’ve sped up the process by freezing packets of dough ahead of time.	Amazon
FLOUR	Caputo Semola di Grano Duro Rimacinata	Pasta all'Uovo	My cousins from Abruzzo turned me on to using semola for 70% of the flour in the homemade pasta dough. It gives it a firm consistency, good taste, and nice color. It's made a huge difference in the ravioli, in particular. Semola is a little coarse, but semolina is even coarser. So be careful when trying to find a substitute for this brand. Refer to the Flours page for more details.	Amazon
FLOUR	King Arthur (Organic) All-Purpose Flour	General-purpose	King Arthur is a great brand. You can use either the regular kind or the organic. If you buy in bulk, the organic variety doesn’t cost too much more. Refer to the Flours page for more details.	Amazon, Costco
FLOUR	Caputo Doppio Zero 00 Caputo Classica 00	General-purpose Pasta all'Uovo	00 flour is finely ground, but can vary wildly in its protein content. This Doppio Zero or Classica flour (two names for same thing) has 11.5% protein, which is close to American all-purpose flour, but ground more finely. I use this for the lighter version of the Pasta all'Uovo. Refer to the Flours page for more details.	Amazon
FLOUR	Caputo Chef's 00	General-purpose (higher protein)	Same idea as the previous Classica, but 13% protein rather than 11.5%.	Amazon
FLOUR	Dallagiovanna Napoletana 00	Pizza Napoletana	A couple guys from Napoli did a taste test of various pizza flours that are readily available to consumers, and decided that they liked this one the best, even more than the Caputo Pizzeria flours (red and blue). 13.3% protein. So I'm currently using it. It's available on USA Amazon with free prime shipping. Refer to the Flours page for more details.	Amazon
FLOUR	King Arthur Organic Bread Flour	Pane artigianale, ciabatta, focaccia	The King Arthur all-purpose flour has 11.7% protein. This has 12.7% and is used more for breads. Italians use Manitoba, which has a protein content typically higher than this. Refer to the Flours page for more details.	Amazon
FLOUR	King Arthur Organic High-Gluten Flour	Pandoro, Panettone	Some Italian recipes call for a higher-protein Manitoba. I substitute this, which has 14.2% protein. For Pandoro, I mix it with the following Chef's 00 flour. I may try to use this also for breads and focaccia to see how it changes the texture and flavor profile.	Amazon
FLOUR	Caputo Manitoba Oro Tipo 0	Breads, Pandoro, Panettone	This Manitoba also a high protein content (14.5%), so it's considered a pretty strong flour, even stronger than the previous high-gluten one. This is the only Italian Manitoba that I've seen on USA Amazon. Caputo is a good brand. Refer to the Flours page for more details.	Amazon
RICE	Acquerello Carnaroli	Risotto	This is one of the better commercial brands of Carnaroli rice in Italy. I find its consistency to be nearly perfect, certainly better than any Arborio rice. It comes vacuum-sealed for freshness. It’s not too expensive if you buy the 2-year-aged version. I have tried the more expensive 7-year-aged version and did not notice much difference in flavor.	Amazon
RICE	Melotti Riso Vialone Nano IGP	Risotto (extra al dente)	I don’t really use this. I list it here if you’d like to try a good Italian rice that is much more al dente than Carnaroli or Arborio.	Amazon
CHEESE	Parmigiano-Reggiano	Native-Italian recipes, snacking	There’s only one Parmigiano-Reggiano. It is simply the best parmesan in the world. I order 3-year-aged directly from a well-regarded dairy in Italy (Bonat). Keep in mind that this cheese is state-regulated, so any dairy will produce good cheese. Fun factoid #1: it takes about 600 liters (158 gallons) of milk to make one wheel of Parmigiano-Reggiano – that may explain why it costs so much. Fun factoid #2: after six months, all the dairies move their wheels to a secure location to avoid theft. There’s a central place that holds billions of dollars of this stuff and is heavily guarded. Fun factoid #3: each wheel must be checked by an official of the consortium before it can be sold as true Parmigiano-Reggiano. The official hits it with a special hammer and listens to the sound.	bonat.it (direct from a dairy is best),  local grocery (very good)
CHEESE	Locatelli Pecorino Romano	Italian and Italian-American recipes	I have tried various aged pecorinos and have yet to find a better one than the one we can find so readily in the USA. Hard to believe, so I’ll keep searching. The main issue with Locatelli is that it can be very expensive, but we have found it at an excellent price at Costco. That said, I don't use Locatelli for Cacio e Pepe. It's too salty.	Amazon local grocery store
CHEESE	Pecorino Sardo	Cacio e Pepe	This is a less salty pecorino from Sardegna (Sardinia) that works better for Cacio e Pepe. The label says "pecorino romano" but it's actually from Sardegna. It says so sideways over the word "pecorino." They probably didn't want to confuse people by calling it by its real name, pecorino sardo.	Costco
CHEESE	Pecorino Gran Reserva	Snacking (medium Pecorino)	Not for grating, but amazing for snacking.	igourmet.com
CHEESE	Calabro Whole Milk Ricotta	Ripieno di Ricotta, pizza topping (but make your own!)	You should make your own ricotta! In a bind, though, this is still pretty good.	Whole Foods
CHEESE	Polly-O Whole Milk Ricotta	Ditto (2^nd choice)	Ditto	Local grocery
CHEESE	NY Mozzarella Balls in Water	Various recipes	The mozzarella balls coming out of NYC delis are probably the best we have in this country. Get the ones that come immersed in water. Unlike ricotta, mozzarella is somewhat challenging to make and requires the use of raw milk, which is illegal in most states.	Whole Foods, NYC deli
CHEESE	Mozzarella di Bufala	Various recipes, snacking	This is the best food in the world. I can’t even explain how good this is. When we go to Italy, we always have this as much as possible. No need to spend a lot of money. Simply go into a “groceria,” buy some, and go outside and eat it. I have tried VERY hard to get several dairies from the Campania region to ship it to me. They won’t because the cheese would go bad before it makes it through customs. I cannot adequately convey how sad this makes me, and I pray for the day when it will somehow be rectified for the general American population.	Visit Italy, visit elsewhere in Europe You will find lots of places in the USA claiming to have mozzarella di bufala. Trust me, it isn’t the real thing. Not even close. If you live in NYC, you might be lucky to find some fresh that was just flown in.
TOMATOES	Cento Certified San Marzano Tomatoes (avoid Organic variety, not as tender)	Native-Italian sauce recipes, Pizza Napoletana	I have sampled as many Italian plum tomatoes as I have extra-virgin olive oils. My sister and I agree that this is the best without getting into some very expensive tomatoes--and, even then, it might still be the best. Cento does supply D.O.P. San Marzano tomatoes, but I believe these taste better and are cheaper. Others disagree and insist that D.O.P. taste sweeter. D.O.P. means Denominazione d’Origine Protetta (protected designation of origin).	Local Costco, Walmart, and Trader Joe’s are all significantly cheaper than Whole Foods. (I say local because ordering online always results in dented cans.)
TOMATOES	Bianco DiNapoli Organic Whole Peeled Tomatoes	Native-Italian sauce recipes, Pizza Napoletana	This is the only plum tomato I have tried that might be better than Cento. They are also thicker in consistency, which makes it difficult to compare. They are grown in California. They are more expensive than Cento, but the prices have come down over the years.	Amazon
TOMATOES	Cento Crushed Tomatoes	Alda’s sauce	These are some of the tastiest crushed tomatoes—and they’re inexpensive. Bianco DiNapoli also has some crushed tomatoes that I plan to try soon.	Local Walmart (I say local because ordering online always results in dented cans.)
TOMATOES	Cento Tomato Paste	Alda’s sauce, ragù	My mother used Contadina for her sauce. I believe all types of Cento canned tomatoes are tastier (especially for the money) than American brands. Bianco DiNapoli also has some tomato paste that I plan to try soon.	Amazon
OIL	Filippo Berio Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (identical to Sagra Extra Virgin sold in Italy)	Everything	I have tried scores of extra-virgin olive oils for everyday cooking. This inexpensive brand is still my favorite because it has a sweet taste. (I do not like bitter olive oils.) I used to import Sagra Extra-Virgin Olive Oil from Italy, then later discovered that this exact Filippo Berio is the same product by the same company. Sagra just happens to be the brand name they use in Italy. Be careful about stocking up on too much olive oil. It can go bad. I kind of prefer buying the 16.9-oz bottles as needed. However...	Walmart
OIL	Kirkland Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil	Everything	This oil tastes the same as the previous one. We have essentially switched to it because we can get it at a good price at Costco.	Costco
OIL	Filippo Berio Robusto Extra Virgin Olive Oil	Everything	This is a good choice if you’d like to try something slightly stronger than the Organic variety above.	Walmart
OIL	De Carlo Felice Garibaldi Extra Virgin Olive Oil	Topping for ravioli, bread-dipping, bruschetta	This is a fancy olive oil that is stronger than the previous ones, but not ridiculously strong. It’s good as a topping and for dipping.	Amazon
OIL	Filippo Berio Olive Oil (for sautéing and grilling)	Alda’s salad	Note that this is NOT extra virgin. This is the key to my mother’s salad. I will never change it.	Walmart
VINEGAR	Sasso Aceto di Vino Rosso Riserva (red wine vinegar)	Alda’s salad, cannellini salad	My mother used Heinz red-wine vinegar. My sister turned me on to this brand. This is better. If you can’t find it (likely), any kind of Italian red-wine vinegar will work fine. The choice of olive oil is more important.	Widely available in Italy, but here it requires some searching online
VINEGAR	Badia a Coltibuono Red Wine Vinegar	Alda’s salad, cannellini salad	This is more expensive than the Sasso, but it is about the same quality and is easier to find. Badia a Coltibuono is famous for its Chianti Classico.	Amazon
SPICE	McCormick Paprika	Mama Alfieri's sausage	For making sausage, pick a brand and stick to it. It’s easier to make adjustments that way.	Amazon
SPICE	Simply Organic Fennel Seeds	Mama Alfieri's sausage	Ditto	Amazon
SPICE	McCormick Whole Nutmeg	Ripieno di Ricotta, Alfredo sauce, baking	Any whole nutmeg will work. The key is freshly grating whole nutmeg wherever a recipe calls for nutmeg.	Amazon
SPICE	Anise Seeds	Pizzelle	This is an essential flavor in pizzelle. I don't have a preferred brand yet.	Amazon
SPICE	Ravida Sea Salt	Alda’s salad, cheese-making, lots of other places	Sea salt is stronger than normal salt. That does not mean it tastes better, but something in my bones tells me that it does. I have no good rationale. It’s an emotional thing.	Amazon
SPICE	Spicy World Whole Black Peppercorns Tellicherry	Cacio e Pepe, Pastina, lots of other places	Freshly ground pepper can be a magic ingredient in some dishes, such as in Cacio e Pepe, where it is kept coarse. As with the nutmeg, above, freshly grinding it adds a new dimension to a simple dish.	Amazon
DESSERT	Pasta di Nocciola Piemonte IGP	Gelato alla Nocciola, Gelato al Bacio, Nutella	The Piedmont region of Italy grows some of the best hazelnuts in the world. Trying to grind your own paste is very difficult. It’s much easier to buy the paste finely ground by professionals with the proper equipment. It can be stored in the fridge. It will separate, so I try to turn it over once a month and keep it that way. You will still need to stir it a little before use. I learned this self-stirring technique from a paint store (paint has the same problem).	scoiattolorosso.com
DESSERT	Pistachio Paste	Gelato al Pistacchio	The Bronte area of Sicily has great pistachios, but it’s a little expensive to ship the paste here (more so than the nocciola paste above). I had tried the pure paste from The Pistachio Factory in California, but it did not have much flavor. Frankly, I can’t make a good gelato with this either, so I don’t know what to try next. You can use the same self-stirring technique described for the pasta nocciola.	pistasta.it (Bronte, Sicily)
DESSERT	Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate	Gelato al Cioccolato, Gelato al Bacio, Gelato alla Straciatella	This is high-quality dark chocolate that is also low in lead and cadmium. Are there better ones? Probably. I haven’t explored the landscape much yet.	Amazon, Walmart