Often when people begin cooking for the first time, whether that be the first time in their lives or their first time making a new kind of cuisine, they are at a loss for what they need to begin. Italian food is no exception as it can range from very simple recipes like a caprese salad, to complex recipes such as risotto made from scratch.
Trying to figure out exactly what you need to get started can seem to be a daunting task, but it can be very simple with these staple Italian ingredients. These are the basic ingredients that will help you create food from Northern, Southern, and Central Italy and make truly amazing meals that would impress anyone.
If you are interested in getting started and want to grab some of these ingredients Vincenzo’s offers all of them both online and in store for your connivence.
Olive oil is often overlooked by many in the kitchen as just something to cook your food in with little to no other use. However, olive oil is one of the most important ingredients in any kitchen and a staple for Italian cooking. It is the base of all dishes that helps marry all other flavours together and create a complete and cohesive dish.
If you are looking for a good staple Olive Oil, check out Vincenzo’s website or in store as we offer over 30 different Olive Oils, from regions all over Italy providing different flavours at varying price points.
When looking for a good olive oil you need to look at the label, does it say virgin, extra virgin or refined. There is distinct difference between different oils and selecting the right one for your dish is very important to the overall taste and final composition of the dish.
Anything labeled with Virgin means the oil was produced using machines only with no chemical treatment. Which means nothing has been added to the oil to alter its overall taste, it is the purest you can get. Virgin is an umbrella term referring to any olive oil processed and made this way. If it is labeled as just Virgin Olive Oil it means it is a lesser grade oil, with a free acidity of 2.0%, meaning it will have a good taste but may have some sensory defects.
If a bottle is labeled with Extra virgin, it means it is the highest grade of oil you can get created through cold mechanical processing without the use of chemicals or extra refining methods. It contains no more than 0.8% free acidity meaning it has a superior taste to most other oils.
Refined Olive Oil is virgin oil that has been refined and filtered through charcoal, chemical, or physical filters. It has a free acidity of no more than 0.3%, meaning it is a lesser grade than Extra Virgin Olive Oil but a higher grade than Virgin Olive Oil, it is a good in between oil if you are unable to find one or the other. When looking for a Refined Oil look for bottles labeled as Pure Olive Oil or Olive Oil.
Pasta is the base for many Italian dishes. Pasta is a great way to create a quick an easy meal during the week with a wide variety of options available. And despite how simple it may seem; your pasta can set the tone for a whole dish or even for an evening if not prepared correctly.
When looking for pasta for a dish you should consider whether you want use fresh or dried pasta. Dried is what is found on grocery store shelves and can be stored for a long period of time in your pantry at home.
Fresh pasta can either be made at home or bought in store and lasts for a much shorter time. Fresh pasta can provide a fresher taste, and in some cases save you on time as it takes less time to cook. Both dried and fresh pastas come in all sorts of shapes and sizes so you will be able to find whatever kind you need in either format.
Basic pasta dough has been made mostly of wheat flour or semolina, with durum wheat used mainly in Southern Italy and soft wheat in the Northern regions.
More and more pasta is also being made in gluten-free formats to accommodate those with allergies or aversions, and basically all pasta dough can be made with water instead of eggs to keep the pasta suitable for vegans. Pasta can also be made from vegetable flour to make it even healthier.
When you are making a dish, and you know the region of Italy the dish is from, you will get a more authentic taste and feel if you use pasta from that region.
If you are looking for great pasta, Vincenzo’s sells seven varieties of pasta made fresh daily, 11 frozen filled pastas, 85 dried pastas including gluten free options, as well as the ingredients to make pasta from scratch at home.
Vincenzo’s is literally your one-stop-pasta-shop!
Most people probably have a few bulbs of garlic just sitting in their pantry to use occasionally if a recipe calls for it but otherwise will not go through the effort to use it regularly. Garlic can provide amazing flavour to any dish and has been proven to make people hungry just from smelling fresh garlic being cooked.
Garlic is known for its characteristic pungent spicy flavour that mellows and sweetens when cooked. When looking to purchase garlic, many people tend to grab the prechopped jarred kind for convenience.
However, fresh garlic provides you with that true vibrant garlic flavour with a bit of heat when it is raw. White jarred minced garlic tends to be milder in taste and flavour.
Using fresh garlic and mincing it yourself at home will result in a fuller flavour profile and better taste. If you are substituting jarred for fresh garlic in a recipe you should use an extra half teaspoon to make up for the lost flavour.
Check out Vincenzo’s in store to pick up some fresh garlic or grab it online.
Basil is a staple herb used in a lot of Italian cooking, often thought of as a topping for pasta or pizza. It is complex herb that provides a punch of flavour right at the end of a dish or added in the middle to help round out the overall flavour profile.
Basil is usually used fresh in recipes and added last as cooking will quickly destroy the flavour. The generic term “basil” refers to the variety known as sweet basil or Genovese basil. There are other types of basil, such as Thai Basil which are not the same as the basil used in Italian dishes.
Dried basil tends to be a pantry staple as it is easily stored and stays for longer. It is also easy to add into any dish at any point during the cooking process. Dried basil, however, does not provide the same punchy flavour as fresh basil but still works if you have nothing else.
Both dried and fresh are good for a variety of dishes. When you are looking for a stronger taste or a nice presentation fresh basil is the way to go when it is added at the end or thrown on top for a nice finishing look. If you are looking for good basil, remember that Vincenzo’s carries both fresh and dried instore and online.
Tomatoes are the source of umami flavour in a lot of Italian dishes. They are consumed in a variety of ways; whether it be raw, roasted, pureed, or cooked. Because they are so diverse and provide such a strong and needed taste, they base for several sauces and salads in Italian cuisine.
When cooking with tomatoes, whether it be for sauces or stews, canned tomatoes are the better choice. They are densely packed and have a higher concentration of flavour that will stand up to the heat and longer cooking process.
Because they are canned almost right after picking, they are still fresh and provide burst of flavour, they are also pre-peeled most of the time for ease.
Fresh tomatoes provide a bright light flavour making them more suited for cold dishes such as salads. They also give a thick texture and “meaty” bite when chopped and cooked as full pieces rather than breaking them down for a sauce or soup. If you are looking for fresh tomatoes Vincenzo’s offers them both in store and online, we also carry 10 varieties of canned tomatoes.
It is hard to find a household that doesn’t have at least some grated parmesan cheese. Parmesan is the perfect cheese for Italian cuisine as it is salty, savory, and provides a creamy taste to your dishes. Parmesan may also be referred to as Parmigiano Reggiano the Italian name for the cheese.
Parmesan is typically grated over pasta dishes, stirred into soups and risottos, and even eaten on its own. It is often shaved or grated over salads as well. The rinds of parmesan should be saved and can be simmered in soups, broths, and sauces to add flavour. They can also be infused in olive oil or used in a steamer basket while steaming vegetables.
In Italy parmesan is a protected cheese by the PDO (the Protected Designation of Origin), meaning the name parmesan and parmigiano reggiano are protected names, only cheese that comes from a specific region in Italy can be referred to as such.
Outside of Italy the protection does not have the same standing so similar cheeses may also be labeled as “parmesan” but only true real parmesan produced within the same region in Italy can be labeled as parmigiano reggiano outside of Italy.
When you are looking for parmesan for a dish try and look for ones labeled as parmigiano reggiano for a more authentic taste. Vincenzo's sells parmigiano reggiano and is a great place to find authentic cheese, you can also find pre-grated cheese in store in smaller containers.
Balsamic Vinegar may not be the first kind that you think of when you are thinking of vinegar, however, balsamic is a favorite in Italian cuisine. Balsamic is simply a very dark, very concentrated, and intensely flavoured vinegar, allowing it to be added to simple dishes or simply stand on its own.
Traditional vinegar (most common balsamic) is most often served in drops on top of chunks of parmigiano reggiano and mozzarella as an appetizer. It is also used sparingly on steaks, eggs, or grilled fish, as well as on fresh fruit such as strawberries and peaches and on plain crema (custard) gelato.
Balsamic has such a strong flavour that it is often used very sparingly as to not over power the rest of the dish, or used with very simple flavours as a star ingredient to celebrate its taste. Often it is used with seafood to help enhance the flavour, such as scallops or shrimp. It is used in simple dishes like simple pastas, risottos, caprese salad, or a simple fruit salad. When looking for a good balsamic vinegar check out Vincenzo’s for great choices.
Prosciutto is another staple ingredient that most people would not necessarily associate with Italian food, however, prosciutto is an Italian ham used in a variety of dishes. In Italian, prosciutto means any kind of ham, either dry-cured (prosciutto crudo) or cooked (prosciutto cotto), but in English-speaking countries it usually means either Italian prosciutto crudo or similar hams made elsewhere.
When you are looking for prosciutto in an English-speaking country make sure to look for the difference either crudo or cotto depending on the recipe you are using and the region of Italy it is from.
Sliced prosciutto crudo in Italian cuisine is often served as an antipasto, wrapped around grissini (breadsticks), or accompanied with melon or figs. It is also eaten as an accompaniment for spring vegetables.
It may be included in simple pasta sauces made with cream, or a Tuscan dish of tagliatelle and vegetables. You can also find it in many Italian stuffing's or used to wrap meats like chicken. For lighter dishes prosciutto is often in sandwiches and paninis, sometimes in a variation of caprese salad, with basil, tomato, and fresh mozzarella.
Prosciutto's salty taste and thin texture lends itself well to a lot of Italian dishes making it a staple across the country's cuisine. Make sure to check the variety offered by Vincenzo’s online and instore with over seven to choose from online and even more instore at the butcher counter.
150 Caroline Street South at the Bauer Buildings ( King & Allen )
Waterloo, Ontario
519-741-1437
General email: [email protected]
Mon to Fri: 8:30am - 8:00 pm
Saturday: 8am - 6pm | Sundays: Closed | Special Holiday Hours
