Food

October 20, 2015

10+ Italian Pantry Essentials For Easy Dinners

Chef Eron Novalski of Aria Ristorante shares the pantry ingredients he can’t live without. 

Between the quick-cooking pastas and satisfying sauces, Italian cuisine tends to be our go-to favourite for simple and delicious dinners. Knowing which ingredients to keep on-hand can make whipping up an Italian-inspired meal even easier, so we asked chef Eron Novalski of Aria Ristorante in Toronto to share his list of must-have pantry staples. If you want to bring the authentic flavors of Italy to your own kitchen, take a cue from chef Eron and stock up on these products.

THE BASICS:

Good quality Italian olive oil

Sea salt

Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt

Dried chilies

Italian Saffron

Callipo Jarred Tuna 

Aria Toronto Pasta Recipe
Chef Eron Novalski’s Egg Tagliatelle with Wild Mushrooms & Butternut Squash. Get the recipe here.

THE EXTRAS:

Canned Pomilia Plum Tomatoes or any San Marzano D.O.P. (Denominazione d’ Origine Protetta or “protected designation of origin,” meaning the product is from Italy) tomatoes:Look for the D.O.P. certified stamp on the label for optimal flavor.”

Pasta di Gragnano dried pastas: “The Paccheri shape is great for a fish or seafood ragout.”

Agostino Recca Salted Anchovies: “You can find these at Italian grocery stores.”

Vine-ripened cherry tomatoes: “Harvest Wagon in Toronto brings them in from Pachino, Italy.”

Balsamic Vinegar of Modena: “I always recommend looking for something D.O.P. certified from Modena.”

Caputo or Divella Flour: “I use this flour to make fresh pizza dough or pasta.”

Author: Natalia Ksiazek
Photographer:

1. Paul Massey 2. Yuli Scheidt

Source:

1. House & Home September 2015 issue 2. Yuli Scheidt via Instagram 3. Aria Ristorante