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As a good “Pasta Fan”, you must consider to have a well-stocked pantry of general and essential pasta related items.
Keep a list handy of what you use often and what you need to replace on your next shopping trip, so that you can prepare your “Five Star” recipes.
ANCHOVIES.
A small sea fish used either fresh or preserved. Sold canned in oil, as a paste or preserved in rock salt. Anchovies form the basis for a quick seafood pasta sauce
Very used in southern, Ligurian and Piedmont cuisine; it can be found in almost any Italian pantry.
Canned ones are more convenient to use.
BACON Pancetta, Guanciale.
Pancetta is a kind of coarse, air-cured Italian bacon, streaked with fat. There are two kinds and two forms of pancetta, smoked, and unsmoked, rolled and slab. In pasta sauces it is usually used cut into cubes or thick matchsticks, and is best bought either in thick slices or a single piece.
Thick-cut bacon works well as an alternative to pancetta.
Guanciale is prepared in the same ways, but is a cut of the cheek as opposed to the belly. Some find it more delicate and less fatty than pancetta.
CAPERS
You can find two types of capers. The smaller ones that are pickled in vinegar, and the larger ones that come rolled in salt. Whatever you prefer , this is a nice ingredient to add a punch of flavor to dishes that seem to need a brief rinse.
DRIED PORCINI MUSHROOMS Funghi porcini.
It is the queen of mushrooms. Wonderful grilled slowly on charcoal with olive oil, parsley and garlic, in white sauce or red sauce.
DRIED PASTA
I recommend trying some local or national brands and then getting the one that offer the best results. Or you can buy a good quality imported artisan pasta.. Generally, any imported pasta products made from semolina flour are good choices.
GARLIC Aglio
Garlic is an important ingredient not only in the Italian cuisine but also in the west European cuisine, especially in sauces, such as the world-famous pesto sauce, as well as the Neapolitan aglio/olio sauce.When sautéing, be careful not to burn the garlic, as it will turn bitter.
HEAVY CREAM
Used in sauces and deserts. The most famous sauce using cream is Fettuccine Afredo.
HERBS AND SEASONINGS .
Fresh or dried herbs are necessary ingredients in pasta sauces.Fresh herbs are usually preferable, but if you only have access to dried ones, you can get good results from these as well. Fresh herbs should be added to the sauce just before serving, whereas dried herbs need to be added earlier in the cooking process. Fresh herbs can be found in most produce markets, and you can grow your own in pots at home.You can also dry your own herbs by gathering fresh ones, mooring them in a mallet and hanging them in fresh, ventilated, dry and shaded place.
BASIL Basilico
Nothing goes with tomatoes quite as well as basil and together they are classically Italian. Basil is one herb that should always be used fresh, as the dried herb has very little flavor. Basil is used in many pasta sauces and in salads, in minestrone and vegetable soups and is the base for the traditional pesto sauce.Substitutions: Preserved basil, dried basil
BAY LEAVES
Can be used dried or FreshWidely used in Italy to flavour meat dishes, roast chicken, broths, stews, soups, fish etc. Sweet laurel is native to the Mediterranean but will grow practically anywhere.Crumble dry bay between your fingers to release the aroma. Remove leaf before serving.
FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY
Flat-leaf parsley, sometimes called Italian parsley, has a more intense flavor than curly-leaf parsley. It should always be used fresh, as it loses most of its flavor when dried. Flat leaf parsley will keep for a few days if stored in a cool place with the stems in a little water.
HOT CHILLI PEPPERS
Dried small red chillies, used in many sauces, with seafood, and sausages should be used with care. Peperoncino as it is called in Italian is fiery hot so use a little at a time, more can always be added to a sauce.
NUTMEG Noce moscata
When grated releases a delicious aroma and flavour. It is essential for the fillings of ravioli and tortellini. Nutmeg is used in cream- or egg-based sauces such as Cream, Parmesan and Nutmeg , where it offsets the richness of the cream. A touch is also good in Bolognese meat sauce Buy nutmegs whole and store them in a jar, grating a little as needed. Like all spices, should be used in small amounts.
OREGANO
Oregano is an herb that grows wild in central and southern Italy and almost all the rest of the Mediterranean countries. Has a much stronger flavour dry than fresh.. However use less dry oregano, as the flavour is more concentrated. Oregano may be used either fresh or dried, as it keeps its flavor well after drying. Use the dried form in long-cooked sauces. To substitute fresh for dried, or vice versa, use 3 parts fresh to 1 part dried.Very popular in Sicily where it is often added to preserved olives.
PINE NUTS
The seeds of the stone pine cone, soft and creamy they are an important element in many dishes. Essential to Pesto, they are also used in sweets. Lightly toast them in a heavy pan before use. They burn in an instant, so keep a watchful eye on them, shake the pan or stir them with a wooden spoon, they are toasted in a couple of minutes over medium heat. They should just turn a light golden brown.
PARSLEY
Used throughout Italy in soups and salads. Usually added to sauces along with anchovies and garlic, especially for pasta seafood sauces. Always elegant as a garnish it is readily available.Dried parsley is not a good substitute.
ROSEMARY
Rosemary grows wild in the Mediterranean hills and has an intense fragrance. It is particularly suitable for chicken, pork, and lamb. . It really should be used fresh as dry rosemary has practically no flavour.
SAGE
Sage may be used either dried or fresh. Fresh leaves can be sautéed in butter and poured over freshly cooked pasta as a dressing.
THYME
It is an herb used as a flavoring many meat and fish dishes. The best kind is wild thyme which grows in the Ligurian hills and in south europe. Should be used in small quantities, otherwise will be overpowering. Like oregano dried thyme keeps its flavor well. To substitute fresh for dried, or vice versa, use 3 parts fresh to 1 part dried.
WALNUTS
Walnuts are often used as a substitute for pine nuts in some recipes; also used in sweets.
PROSCIUTTO HAM – (Prosciutto)
Prosciutto or Parma ham also known as Prosciutto di Parma, comes from the Latin word meaning, "dried of liquid." It is a salty air-cured ham with a translucent amber coloring. . There are basically two types of Prosciutto; cooked and raw, most non-Italians think of the uncooked, air cured variety known as Prosciutto crudo. If you have difficulty in finding it, substitute another dry-cured ham.
TOMATOES
Fresh or canned tomatoes are fundamental for the preparation of sauce for pasta. Sun-ripened hand picked fresh tomatoes will make a perfect tasty sauce but a Good quality canned tomatoes make a great tomato sauce but.The very best tomato for cooking is the San Marzano plum tomato whether canned or fresh.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes Sundried tomatoes have an intense rust color and a wonderfully salty flavor. The ones packed in oil, rather than sold absolutely dry are easiest to use.
Canned tomatoes: Canned tomatoes are available whole, stewed, crushed, chopped, pureed or in concentrated
Crushed tomatoes: Mid-way between chopped tomatoes and tomato puree, crushed (pulped) tomatoes come in jars or cartons. They are useful in sauces which need a smooth, thick tomato base. Passata is a smoother more refined version, with the pips sieved out.
THE PERFECT PASTA INGREDIENTS ON THE PERFECT PASTA PANTRY
