My favorite products and brands to stock your kitchen.

Grocery stores have come a long way since I was a kid. Back then, you couldn’t even find decent dry pasta in the local supermarket, and any time a relative came to visit from Italy it was like a culinary Christmas – half their suitcase would be loaded up with pantry staples! Today, Italian food has been popular for long enough that there’s a hungry market for basics like pasta and canned tomatoes imported from our big Italian brands, and lots of smaller American companies making great Italian-style products.

But while supermarkets have evolved, there are still some hard-to-find products that are essential in my kitchen. I’m lucky enough to have a fantastic Italian grocery store, Bay Cities Italian Deli, just around the corner from my house, and they stock absolutely everything I need – and plenty more! I could wander the aisles in there for hours. If you don’t happen to have a good import shop in your town, never fear! The internet is an amazing resource for imported foods from around the world, from Tunisian spices to Tuscan olive oil. Stock up on these essentials, and you’ll be ready to throw together an authentically Italian meal in a snap!

Giada’s picks (note, some of these are expensive to purchase online so an Italian market or grocery store is always the way to go if you can!): 

Rustichella d’Abruzzo orecchiette

Mutti salsa pronto di parmigiano reggiano 

Mutti passata (tomato puree)

Mutti pomodorini (cherry tomatoes)

Tutto Calabria crushed hot chili peppers

Amarena Fabbri cherries

Lucini extra virgin olive oil

Paesano extra virgin olive oil

IASA colatura di alici di cetara (anchovy extract)