What I Always Keep In My Italian Pantry (& Why You Should Too)

There’s something comforting about opening your pantry and seeing your favorite Italian staples lined up and ready to go. For me, it’s a small daily joy—and a way to stay connected to Italy, no matter where I am. Over the years, I’ve figured out exactly what I always want to have on hand—and today, I’m sharing those must-haves with you.

Whether you’ve just returned from an unforgettable trip to Italy or you’re simply craving more of those everyday Italian vibes, stocking your pantry with key Italian ingredients is one of the easiest ways to bring a little slice of Italy into your home. It’s not just about cooking a good meal—it’s about having those familiar, high-quality Italian products within reach that instantly transport you back to your favorite place on earth.

If you’re here, chances are you’re ready to start building your own Italian pantry. Welcome, friend. I’m about to share what I always keep on hand and why—so you can get inspired, start your own collection, and infuse your everyday life with delicious Italian flavor.

What Does an Italian Pantry Look Like?

You might expect an Italian pantry to be a beautifully styled, walk-in space like the ones all over Pinterest—but that’s not how most of us in Europe live. Most Italian homes don’t have a separate room for pantry storage. Instead, we make do with smart use of kitchen cupboards and cabinets.

In my kitchen, like in many Italian kitchens, pantry items are divided into different areas: one cupboard for pasta and grains, one for spices and seasonings, another for breakfast goodies and snacks. It’s not about size or aesthetics—it’s about function and tradition.

When I think back to my grandma’s and mum’s kitchens in Italy, they didn’t even have a full-length pantry cabinet. They worked with what they had—and always managed to cook something delicious.

I consider myself lucky now: I have one tall, top-to-bottom cabinet that I call my pantry—one of the perks of designing my own kitchen! But even that isn’t enough. I also use a smaller cupboard for herbs and powders, a drawer for grains, and a pull-out cabinet for oils, vinegars, and condiments.

And of course, the refrigerator plays a key role too, holding everyday essentials like Parmigiano Reggiano and prosciutto. While those aren’t pantry items, they’re absolutely staples in any Italian kitchen!

The Italian Pantry Staples I Can’t Live Without

I am pretty sure you are thinking that the first one on my checklist must be coffee. That’s far from it as I don’t drink any (I know .. very shocking for an Italian). 

I grew up with my parents, grandparents, uncles and aunties drinking at least 3 coffees a day at home — not to count those they would have at work. In my early teenage years, I noticed that the brewing and ground smell would really bother me, yet I still tasted the Summer frozen coffee, the coffee granita, the coffee cakes; and tiramisu was always my favorite gelato flavor. So while I don’t drink coffee, I do enjoy a few coffee treats here and there.

So what’s my number one Italian pantry staple?

Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil

It’s him, il Signore dei Signori in an Italian kitchen, Sir Extra Virgin Olive Oil. However, not any EVOO will do. I grew up enjoying homemade olive oil most of the time. My paternal grandma’s uncle used to make a small batch and sell it. Because of that I can’t use cheap olive oils, my oil must always be extra virgin, Italian of course, and of the highest quality. 

The best option would be always using an oil fresh from production, but olives harvest and olive oil pressing mostly happens in November in Italy, and the fresh EVOO is best used within 6 months if you want to reap all the nutritional benefits. You can keep using it even after, but the price might not justify that.

If I can get my hands on fresh Italian EVOO that’s my preference. When I can’t, my other favorite is Carapelli Oro Verde.

What do I use EVOO for?

I use it daily on my lunch sandwich, and in the evenings on my gnocchi pasta salad. I also make quick healthy mug cakes when I am craving something sweet. And of course, I also bake my favourite cake with it – the famous Italian plumcake. I even used it to make these delicious Christmas Cookies.

And then there are the occasional pizzas, bread, lasagnas, the fresh tomato sauces, and so on.

Extra virgin olive oil is truly my best friend in the kitchen, and if you are using regular olive oil, or worst rapeseed oil, canola, or soybean, please please make the switch. It’s not only much tastier, but it is also way healthier.

Balsamic Vinegar Of Modena

Next in line is another essential condiment in every Italian’s pantry. I must say, this is not one I grew up with. Sicilians, at least back in time when I was a little girl, didn’t value this ingredient as much as they have always done in Central and Northern Italy. 

My love for balsamic vinegar grew after tasting it as an adult, and then getting to work with one of the oldest and most delicious Balsamic producers in Italy – Acetaia Malpighi. You might have heard of Giusti because it’s the oldest, but have you heard of Malpighi – the Italian balsamic producer that has received most prizes in history? Consider this the Maserati of balsamic vinegars.

Please note that I have also tasted plenty of supermarket balsamic vinegars, and nothing compares to Malpighi. My marketing collaboration with one of their resellers has nothing to do with my love for the brand. The latter is due to having had the pleasure to get to know them, having tasted many of their products, and having found my absolute favourite balsamic. I am in no way affiliated with them – and if you choose to buy through my links I might receive a commission but that has nothing to do with the brand.

Because of my work, my pantry (one of the shelves on that long cupboard in my kitchen) holds at least 10 bottles of Balsamic, so I have been able to find my absolute favourite. It’s Platinum PGI. Another great one is Saporoso, the most popular on Amazon. I am yet to taste the oldest ones, those certified with the protected designation of origin – 12 Year Old Traditional PDOl, 25 Years Old PDO and 50 Year Old PDO.

Why do I love Platinum so much?

It’s sweet but not too sweet, it has the perfect thickness (Saporoso feels a little ticker, which you might prefer), and it has the most balanced flavor of all of those I have tried. It’s elegant, not too bold, which makes it perfect to pair with both sweet and savory.

How do I use Balsamic Vinegar of Modena?

Like my Carapelli EVOO, I like to drizzle Platinum on my sandwiches and pasta salads. I also like to caramelize fruit with it, instead of using sugar. It’s fancier but the result is much tastier and healthier.

I have also created a pasta sauce recipe for a client (I am not a chef but I create recipes for food brands) that features tomato sauce, balsamic vinegar, pecorino or parmesan cheese, and brazil nuts. It’s one I keep making again and again, and Platinum takes that recipe to a whole new level.

Another great use for balsamic vinegar is to drizzle it on meat, fish and chicken. I love mine on baked salmon. You can also drizzle it on gelato, ricotta and chocolate crostata. And of course, my favourite treat is to dip freshly homemade bread in a mix of Carapelli Oro Verde and Platinum balsamic vinegar.

Paneangeli Yeast

Would you have guessed my third non negotiable pantry supply would be yeast? Well, considering that I grew up with my Italian grandma making bread and cake like there was no tomorrow. 

My grandma went a whole year without buying bread. Instead she made it from scratch for the entire family to save money, and also because it tasted so good. And it was not amateur bread making. She had a proper full-size antique dough box, longer than my height. She would use it to mix the ingredients and knead the dough. And that bread got cooked in an old big stone oven. 

I am so lucky I got to see it all – the bread, the focaccias, the Easter cookies, the fragrant cakes, the homemade pizzas in the huge stone oven. And that’s why baking is such an important part of my life.

One of the most special memory I have from spending time baking cakes with my grandma is when she would lift the kitchen table cloth, and open her tiny hidden table drawer, housing her precious recipe book and this ingredient I love so much – Paneangeli Lievito Vanigliato for cakes and cookies. It’s a vanilla flavored baking mix you add to your flour with a pinch of salt instead of baking powder.

They also have a Vanilla sachet but I prefer using Organic Bourbon Vanilla.

The brand also makes a great dry yeast for making bread, pizza and focaccia. It’s called Paneangeli Mastro Fornaio. She obviously used fresh yeast for that, but I am actually intolerant to yeast, so dry is the best option.
Another great alternative, also Italian, is Bertolini.

Sicilian Fine Iodized Salt

Since I have started using this, I have never gone back. It’s tasty and also great for women’s health, especially if you are past your 30s.

Have you heard of iodine?  It helps your body produce your thyroid hormones and keep the metabolic rate healthy. Thyroid function is known to reduce with age, especially in women. And this iodized salt can help prevent or reduce that effect. 

It’s of course not a cure for serious thyroid issues, and I am not a doctor. But I have personally had issues with a temporary enlarged goiter, and I have always tackled that through food. Using this iodized salt daily is my way to naturally keep that in check, at least for now.

Iodized salt is naturally enhanced with iodine because of the place it originates from – underground salt deposits. My favorite one comes from Sicily – Antichi Sapori Sale Iodato Fino. This has 3g of iodine per 100 gr of salt. 

Another option, though not Italian, is Celtic sea salt, but this has under 1g iodine.

Italian Flour 00

For all my baking creations I obviously need a great Italian flour. Double zero flour is the most versatile, the one I saw my grandma and mum use the most. And they both used Barilla. However, I really want to try these other well known gourmet brands – Caputo, Garofalo and Almaverde.

Update: Since writing this article, I have started trying Caputo flours, and I must say they are really nice. I am not sure if I like them more than Barilla so far, but it’s good to have a second option, especially since Barilla flour is getting harder and harder to find in store.

What do I use it for?

I mostly make cakes with double 00 flour. For daily use I prefer a gluten free option. I am excited to try Caputo Fioreglut line – both the Sweet and the one for Breads. The one I currently use is Dove’s Farm All Purpose Gluten Free Flour (not Italian).

A double 00 flour is also necessary to make my bakery-style pizza and focaccia, and my sweet pillowy-soft milk bread rolls. To that I add Manitoba Flour.

Rio Mare Tuna

Something else I can’t live without is canned tuna. Don’t get me wrong, I love fresh tuna but that’s not always available, and not as handy to use. I prefer the Super Natural Tuna option, which has no added olive oil. That way, I can add my favourite EVOO. That gives me less calories and a much nicer taste.

What do I use tuna for?

Everything. I love tuna so much I could even eat it as a wholesome snack!!

My favorite ways to use it are on sandwiches, in homemade gluten free wraps, and in my gnocchi salad. I don’t like it so much on pizza nor in pasta bakes.

Italian Pasta

If you’ve read my other food content, you might know that I love fresh pasta the most. I actually don’t eat that much dry pasta. However, the one thing that’s always in my pantry is Barilla Lasagne Sheets, because that allows me to make a quick lasagna with just the ingredients I have. I like to make vegetarian lasagna very often throughout Winter, because they are lighter and quick to make.

Another pasta that I always stock in my fridge is Giovanni Rana Gnocchi (similar here). I always have at least 3 packs for my healthy gnocchi salad dinners.

I also suggest trying these other Giovanni Rana fresh pastas:
– Giovanni Rana Spinach Ravioli
– Giovanni Rana Sausage Ravioli

Dairy Free Products

Being dairy intolerant, my pantry is always full of dairy alternatives for milk, cooking cream and even a lazy bechamel option. Rice milk is the best option for me, and for that I choose both Valsoia and Alpro. For cooking, I enjoy using Valsoia cooking cream and Valsoia bechamel.

I am going to be honest and say that they don’t taste like the dairy options, but they are the next best alternative if you, like me, follow a mostly dairy free diet. Here’s a popular dairy bechamel, that’s ready to use.

My Favorite Jam

This is a very recent favorite. I have been looking for a sugar free jam option for a very long time, both online and in stores, and I finally found this. I can only purchase one flavor online but it happens to be my favorite. It’s Probios Peach Jam without pectin and only natural fruit sugar. They use grape juice instead of sugar, and it’s delicious.

How I use it?

I use it on bread, pancakes, in mug cakes and proper cakes. And I am happy I have a healthy option for my occasional Italian craving of bread rusks, butter and jam. Read this to learn more about Italian breakfast.

My Favorite Stock Cubes

By now you’ve surely understood that eating healthy is very important to me, and whenever possible I always strive to use the best free from brands. Ideally, I would make these myself, but in this stage of life I just don’t have the time to.

From early Fall to early Spring I am always making and eating soups. I love them, especially creamy ones. So a good stock cube is essential in my Italian pantry. I stock this up also during the Summer months because I am often creating soup recipes for my clients’ blogs.

My favorite is Alce Nero Vegetable Bouillon Cubes. Even though the product name is French, it’s made in Italy.

Pistachio Spread

As a Sicilian who loves pistachio everything, I need to have a pistachio spread in my pantry, for when the craving comes. 

Pistachio butter can easily be used for both sweet and savory. You just have to mix it with something. It can be a cooking cream or bechamel sauce for your pasta or chicken. And you can mix it with yogurt, mascarpone, and buttercream.

How I use it?

I use it on pancakes, to make pistachio tiramisu, to drizzle over cannoli, to spread on cakes and bread. I am also excited to mix it with gelato, and make healthy frozen yogurt balls.

I am also excited to start using the pistachio butter to make pistachio-based pesto and sauces for pasta, pizza, and much more.

More Italian Pantry Staples

Above, I only shared my top favorites, but there’s plenty more food neatly organized in Italians’ pantries.

Here is a useful list you can reference when stocking up yours:

Tomato Passata – I like using Mutti; their cherry tomato passata is especially delicious, but a little pricey.

Polenta – This is especially handy for the colder months, so you can quickly make this side dish and serve it with a cozy beef stew.

Dried Herbs – Oregano, rosemary, and thyme are the most used when cooking Italian.

Dry Beans – Lentils, chickpeas, cannellini, and borlotti beans are the most used for Italian soups. You can of course, decide to stock the canned version. I often use those too.

More Pasta – I already mentioned my favorite Italian pasta shapes that are always in my pantry and fridge. However, if you like cooking dry pasta often, you should have many more shapes in your pantry than I do. Penne, spaghetti, fusilli, farfalle, linguine, tubetti, rigatoni, paccheri, tagliatelle, and fettuccine are the most popular in Italy. In Sicily, we also cook a lot with casarecce.

Rice – You must have this if you are a risotto lover. The most used is Arborio rice, Carnaroli, and Parboiled.

Packaged slice bread – We call it pancarrè, and we buy it packaged so it can last longer in our pantry, and have it around we need to make a quick lunch or dinner without too much planning. My mum used it to make us ham and cheese toasties with tomatoes, oregano, and olive oil inside the sandwich presser.

Eggs – Whether you keep them in the fridge or on the counter, these are an essential Italians love to use to make frittatas, fried eggs, boiled eggs, patties, mix them in pasta sauces, and much more. Have you ever tried fried eggs with ham and cheese on top? That’s another lazy dinner Italians love to make. If you are wondering where we keep ours, this is mixed. My mum always kept them in the fridge, and so do I.

Vegetables & Fruits – Potatoes, onions, spring onions, garlic, carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, oranges, lemons, apples, are staples in an Italian kitchen.

Packed milk, biscuits, rusks, and sponges – While we like to make cakes and bakes from scratch, these are always available in Italian kitchens, and used for breakfast or a quick sweet snack.

Jams and mayonnaise – strawberry, cherry and peach are Italians’ favorite flavors. And mayonnaise is used to make staple dishes like rice salads in Summer, and potato salads all year round.

Sugar – for coffee, milk, and baking.

Coffee grounds – An essential for all the Italians who brew their espresso in the morning.

Red vinegar – For pickling vegetables, but also preparing many Sicilian salads. In Sicily, we like to dress our salads with extra virgin olive oil and red vinegar, but if we are making fish or chicken we switch the vinegar for lemon. Of course, every family might have different routines.

Dried fruits and nuts – Sultanas, walnuts, dates, pistachios, hazelnuts, almonds, and of course pine nuts are essential to bake cakes, have a wholesome evening snack, and make pesto and many more traditional recipes.

Olives – We like to have a mix of all times and sizes, so we can use them for cooking, making antipasti boards, pickled and more.

Canned protein – I already mentioned tuna among my favorites, but other options Italians like to keep in their kitchens include canned sardines, cod, salmon, and canned meat. A very famous brand is Simmenthal, which is tasty but not the healthiest.

Fresh bread – How else would we make our sandwiches, dip bread in extra virgin olive oil, make bruschetta, and have a slice ready for scarpetta? My parents used to buy fresh bread every day, even twice a day, especially in Summer. We did skip a few days in between every now and then. When we did, we would preserve the bread from the last day or two this way – by storing it in its own brown bag first, then in a plastic bag, and then in a fabric bag, packing it well and putting it in a dark cupboard away from any light.

Water – Definitely the most essential, but less exciting staple. In Northern Italy, you can definitely drink water from the tap. In Sicily, we used to do it both ways. We would either go collect the water from a fountain we knew the water was really pure, or we would buy it at the supermarket. My grandma used to drink from the tap sometimes, but we didn’t really trust it.

Wine – white and red are the most popular for drinking and cooking, so there are always a few bottles in store.

Liquors – Limoncello, Amaro, Anisette, Rum, Brandy, and some good Whisky.

Christmas Edition

If you’re reading this around Christmas, here are a few suggestions for what treats to add to your Italian pantry.

1. Panettone – you can’t have an Italian Christmas without panettone. If you don’t mind spending a little more, there’s a brand that’s not as well known as it should. It’s called Borsari and is owned by Muzzi. Its Traditional Panettone won best panettone in the world in 2020.
   
   You might also want to try their other classic Italian Christmas cake – Pandoro.
   
   If you’d like to test something different, along with the traditional one, try one of these other flavors:
   Panettone with Limoncello Cream
   Panettone with Sicilian Pistachio Cream
   White Chocolate & Raspberries Panettone
   Pear & Chocolate Panettone
   
2. Chocolate – Venchi is one of my favorite Italian chocolate, along with La Perla di Torino. Venchi is a little easier to get your hands on, as it sells directly on Amazon. Here are my favorite flavors:
   
   Pistachio Cremino
   Chocolate & Almond Cremino
   Nocciolata with Milk Chocolate & Hazelnuts
   Soft Dark Chocolate (Caviar Texture)
   Aromatic Chocolate Cigar (perfect for gifting!)
   
3. Torrone aka Nougat – I grew up eating these chocolate covered torroncini. You must try them! They also make a great addition to Christmas food hampers.

Italian Easter Treats

If you’re reading this just before Easter, don’t miss out on these delicious traditional Italian treats:

Colomba – it’s the Easter equivalent of panettone. Italians love to eat it around Easter and also gift it to family and friends. You can use any leftovers to make delicious glass puddings.

Italian Chocolate Easter Egg – Every kid receives at least one, but more like three – one from parents, and one from both paternal and maternal grandparents. That means that the adults can enjoy some too!

Italian Food Reads

I hope you found this list of Italian pantry staples inspiring and helpful to build your own Italian pantry staples. I will keep adding to it as and when I think of other essential Italian products I use on a regular basis. So save this for later!

Until then, here are other Italian food articles I am sure you will love reading:

The Best Sicilian Foods For Every Season

Mostaccioli Recipe – Italian Christmas Cookies

50 Italian Cookies You Need To Try

Before you go, please leave a heart and share this post with a friend who loves Italian food just like you.

Buon appetito,
Alessia.