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MY
ROUSES
EVERYDAY
SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2016
The Italian Pantry
Stock your kitchen pantrywith these essential Italian ingredients.
ARTICHOKES
—Marinated artichoke hearts have been roasted and
dressed with seasoned oil, or oil and vinegar, giving them a tangy
flavor. They’re great for salads and antipasti. Artichokes canned in
water are great deep fried (
carciofi alla giudia
), braised Roman-style
(
carciofi alla Romana
), used as toppings for pizzas, and tossed with
pasta or risotto. Drain the can and squeeze the liquid of out of the
artichokes so you don’t add excess water to what you’re cooking.
BALSAMIC VINEGAR
— Wherever wine is made, vinegar is also.
Traditional balsamic vinegar is a regional specialty from the northern
Italian provinces of Modena and Reggio Emilia. This dark, sweet,
“true” balsamic is made with specific grapes according to strict
government guidelines and aged for 12 years. Most Italian balsamic
and wine vinegars are fine for cooking. Reserve more expensive
traditional balsamic vinegar to use as a dressing or condiment.
BREADCRUMBS
— You can make homemade breadcrumbs, but
canned breadcrumbs work in a pinch to add crunchy texture and
flavor to eggplant, veal and chicken parms.
CANNED TOMATOES
— Whole and crushed peeled
tomatoes canned in their juices are great for southern-style
tangy tomato sauces, and a simple sauté of whole tomatoes,
olive oil, minimal garlic and basil yields
pasta al pomodoro e
basilico.
Certified San Marzanos come from the Sarno valley
near Vesuvius. They have been awarded PDO (protected
designation of origin) status. Denser tomato paste is more
concentrated and adds almost a meaty flavor to dishes.Tomato
paste is usually made with plum tomatoes, which have thick,
meaty flesh, fewer seeds, less juice and thicker skins.
CANNED TUNA
— Premium tuna packed in olive oil is a common
pasta topping and a key ingredient in the northern Italian veal dish
vitello tonnato
.
CAPERS
— Salty, pickled capers berries are the secret to
chicken piccata.
Puttanesca
is a robust Neapolitan sauce made
with a combination of anchovies, olives, garlic, capers and
crushed red pepper.The saltiness of the anchovies and olives
is a great contrast to the sweetness of the tomatoes.
CRUSHED OR DRIED RED PEPPERS
— Fiery Italian red peppers
add heat to sauces.
Marinara
is simply olive oil, ripe tomatoes,
garlic, dried chile and dried oregano or fresh basil. This southern
Italian staple sauce can be paired with almost any shape of pasta.
Arrabbiata
sauce is a spicy tomato sauce made with hot red chili
peppers or chili flakes. Arrabbiata means angry in Italian; the name
of the sauce refers to the spiciness of the peppers.
DRIED HERBS & SEASONINGS
— Basil, bay leaf, crushed
red pepper, oregano, parsley, rosemary and thyme are common
ingredients in Italian cooking. Dried herbs have a much stronger
flavor than fresh. Substitute one teaspoon of dry herbs for 3
teaspoons of fresh.
DRY PASTA
— Pasta is available in a multitude of shapes and
sizes. Store unopened in a cool dry area. Once opened, transfer to
an airtight container. Long thin spaghetti and wider, fatter linguini
are best for tomato sauce and red gravy. Use a stubby shaped pasta,
with holes or ridges or cups for heavier sauces. Corkscrew-shaped
fusilli, spirali
(a butterfly shaped farfalle),
conchiglie
and ear-shaped
orecchiette
also work for heavier sauces, and are great for pasta salads.
ANCHOVY
— Anchovy fillets brined and salt cured and packed in oil or salt can be eaten whole,
or chopped or puréed and added to Caesar salads and puttanesca sauces. Anchovy paste, which
is sold in tubes, is a great substitute for whole or rolled canned fillets. The paste is made from
ground anchovy fillets mixed with salt and often sugar. It is saltier and more pungent than fillets.
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