Italian Pantry Essentials

Italians ask for and eat only what's in season, and they eat a lot of it. Locals shop outdoor markets daily for the freshest produce or grow their own. Restaurants supplement entrées with plate after plate of contorno, or peak-season vegetable sides, depending on the time of year. But it's simple additions that really characterize this outstanding cuisine—what are very commonplace ingredients come together for extraordinary results. Learn which details lie at the heart of Italian cooking.

See More: Italian Vegetable Recipes

Essential not just to Italian cooking, but to Italian life. I often call for a drizzle of good-quality olive oil to finish a dish—the flavor is so fresh and it just ties everything together.

Many canned versions aren't overly salted now, and dried beans are so easy to cook. If you have chickpeas, onion or garlic, and tomato puree, you have a meal in hand.

When fresh aren't in season, look for good whole canned tomatoes like San Marzano or diced tomatoes packed in their own juices, not a heavy puree (these can taste tinny).

I freeze leftover rinds for adding to soups and stews. You get a lot of flavor out of something most people would discard.

The dried equivalent of the hot peppers found in my family home of Abruzzo, steeped in oil or delivered whole with a pair of scissors for snipping over dishes. I put them on everything.

You could probably get along without them, but why would you want to? Look for Spanish or Italian anchovies at gourmet stores, delis, or supermarkets.