Whenever we step into a kitchen, we’re immediately overcome with the urge to nose around the pantry. Thankfully, there’s no snooping required with Canadian celebrity chef David Rocco. The restauranteur (David Rocco Bar Aperitivo is a popular Italian restaurant in Toronto’s Yorkville neighbourhood), cookbook author and TV personality was more than happy to share his must-have products for the quintessential Italian pantry.
David Rocco’s must-have pantry items
1. Two types of olive oil
That’s right, for David Rocco, it’s not enough to keep just one type of olive oil handy. He recommends l’olio novo (the new olive oil of the season) in addition to a go-to workhorse. “The new olive oil is a finisher,” he says. “Using it as a final drizzle on soups, pasta, meats and fish brings a dish to the next level. And a workhorse olive oil is your basic olive oil for sautéing and frying a general-purpose olive oil. It really is the most important ingredient I have in my pantry.”
Extra Virgin Olive Oil in Ceramic Bottle
This beautiful piece combines the Sicilian tradition of handmade ceramics and Nocellara olive oil. Made exclusively from olives in the Belice Valley, it is intensely fruity with hints of grass, artichoke and tomato leaves. Price: 52.49
shop now
Premiere Extra Virgin Olive Oil
The Cutrera family has cultivated and produced their award-winning extra virgin olive oil in Chiaramonte Gulfi, Sicilia for over a century. The Premiere is elegant and spicy with notes of green tomato.
Price: 29.99
shop now
Mosto Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Produced from a blend of Italian olives, this oil has a creamy and fruity palate, with hints of black pepper.
Price: 29.99shop now
2. Anchovies
Rocco admits that anchovies may be a divisive ingredient, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t essential. “A couple of filets on pizza, pasta or in a sauce—a few melted in garlic and oil is an incredible base—can make a dish sing,” he says. “They add a depth of flavour and saltiness that can make a simple dish stand out. My fave snack is bread, a great butter and a filet of anchovy—or sub out the butter for some fresh stracciatella [cheese].” You can try making your own caesar salad dressing with this ingredient too.
Anchovies in Salt
Founded in 1973 in Sciacca, Sicily, these anchovies are still being produced according to tradition. After being fished, they are stored in tin containers with alternating layers of salt and left to cure for around eight weeks.
Price: 14.99shop now
Filetti di Alici in Olive Oil
Following ancient salting processes, Armatore selects only the largest anchovies from the Amalfi Coast to be salted in terzigni, chestnut barrels for at least 8 months, then preserved in olive oil.
Price: 29.95shop now
Anchovies fillets
Based in Sciacca, Sicily, the Recca family is one of the most well-respected producers of Italian canned seafood. These tendy and meaty fillets are the perfect to your pantry for pasta or pizza night.
Price: 9shop now
3. Colatura di Alici
Rocco says that colatura di alici—which dates back to Roman times and is made with fermented anchovies—is essentially the Italian equivalent of a Southeast
Asian fish sauce. “A couple of drops of this gives a delicious mellow fishy, salty flavour to any dish,” he says. “In the small town of Cetara on the Amalfi Coast, which is known for its colatura, my friends at the restaurant Acqua Pazza don’t use salt in their dishes—they use colatura. They don’t even have salt on the tables; instead, each table has a small bottle of colatura equipped with a dropper so that guests can squeeze a few drops on to their dishes.”
Colatura di Alici
Based in Cetara on the Amalfi Coast, Nettuno continues to follow ancient practices. The essence is harvested drop by drop from the bottom of a barrel, where anchovies age for around three years.
Price: 25shop now
Colatura di Alici Cetara Riserva
This colatura is made from Armatore’s premium anchovies, which are sustainably fished and processed just hours after harvest. The flavour is complex, aromatic and umami.
Price: 23.75shop now
Colatura di Alici
Dating back to 1871, Rizzoli is the oldest fish canning company in the industry. Their colatura comes from the anchovies during the minimum four month-long aging process inside temperature-controlled barrels.
Price: 29.99shop now
4. Italian tuna packed in olive oil
“It’s quick and easy to open up and throw on an aglio e olio pasta, on salads, etc.,” Rocco says. “My favourite salad is a Tuscan tuna and white-bean salad with chopped celery and basil. Add some good olive oil and a small splash of red-wine vinegar, and it’s ready in five minutes.”
Solid Tuna in Olive Oil
AS do MAR uses sustainable methods to fish mature yellowfin tuna from areas that are non-overexploited. They are then processed on the same day in Olbia, Sardinia, with zero waste.
Price: 11.95
shop now
Solid Light Tuna in Olive Oil
Known for its pink colour and consistent quality, Rio Mare tuna is 10 times lower in mercury content than the average tuna. It is fished responsibly, and canned with high quality olive oil and a pinch of salt.
Price: 7.95shop now
Canned Tuna In Oil
Established in 1913 in Pizzo, a region known for tuna fishing, Callipo was the first company in Calabria to tin tuna. After over a century, they remain dedicated to their mission of delivering “quality first.”
Price: 7.94shop now
5. Taggiasca olives
“Using them on salads, pasta or to accompany fish adds incredible flavour,” Rocco says. Use Taggiasca olives in olive salad (like in this muffuletta sandwich) or with a roast leg of lamb and potatoes.
Pitted Taggiasca Olives
Based in Liguria, which is also native to taggiasca olives, Italpesto is committed to bringing Ligurian flavours straight to your kitchen. These olives have a delicious bittersweet taste, perfect as an appetizer or pairing.
Price: 13.99shop now
Pitted Taggiasche Olives
This blend of chopped olives has a sweet aroma, with fruity notes. They are perfect to pair with a charcuterie board or cheese platter.
Price: 6.99shop now
Taggiasca Olives In Brine
These olives are grown on traditionally narrow terraces about 1,150 feet above sea level in a mild climate. After the best olives are carefully chosen, they are placed in brine following traditional methods.
Price: 8.99shop now
6. Premium Dried Pasta from Italy
Naturally, the pro uses his own David Rocco brandd when making pasta. “It’s 100 percent produced in Italy, with no added GMOs, and it’s made using artisanal cuts and then dried on wooden racks for a minimum of 18 hours,” he says. “That slow process makes all the difference in keeping the noodles al dente.” He, of course, also likes making pasta with his line of nonna-approved David Rocco premium pasta sauces.
Strozzapreti
The David Rocco line is made from 100% Italian slow-dried durum wheat. This strozzapreti, common in the Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Marche and Umbria regions of Italy, is a delicious hand-rolled pasta.
Price: 5.59shop now
Squid Ink Cuttlefish Linguine
Since 1860, the Morelli family has been producing pastas with their secret ingredient: wheat germ, which adds extra vitamins, mineral salts and protein. This linguine also incorporates Mediterranean black squid ink.
Price: 9.99shop now
Fusilli corti col buco
For three generations, Pastificio di Martino has been producing pastas from Gragnano, Napoli, the pasta capital of the world. It is made with spring water from Monti Lattari and 100% fine durum wheat.
Price: 3.99shop now
7. Parmigiano Reggiano
You may not be keeping this Italian cheese in your pantry, but it’s definitely a staple nonetheless. ELLE Gourmet even went to Italy to learn more about it. “It’s the king of cheese,” says Rocco. “The rind can be used for soups and sauces, and a little goes a long way. It has so many applications, so it always has to be available in my kitchen.”
Parmigiano Reggiano DOP Aged 36 Months
This cheese, made from made from low-fat cow’s milk and mainly produced in Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, and part of Mantua and Bologna. It typically has a rich and full flavour.
Price: 16.60shop now
Parmigiano Reggiano 5 Years
This parmigiano reggiano comes from the small town of Bardi, just outside of Parma, Italy. Thanks to the long aging process, it is intensely nutty and umami with notes of beef broth.
Price: 37/lbshop now
Formaggio delle Vacche Rosse 24 Mesi
Hailing from the Emilio Romagna region, this cheese is made from the same type of cows’ milk that first inspired Benedictine monks to produce parmigiano reggiano over 800 years ago.
Price: 55shop now
8. Capers
Capers are a flavour bomb in the pantry, and can be used to elevate dishes like this Italian potato salad. “I love them,” Rocco says. “Like olives or anchovies, they can be used in so many dishes to add extra flavour.”
Sea Salt Capers
These sea salt capers are part of Frantoi Cutrera’s Segreti di Sicilia line of preserves, aiming to share unique Italian flavours and biodiversity with the world.
Price: 35.54shop now
Salted Capers
Hand-harvested and packed with sea salt, these capers pack a bold and flavourful punch.
Price: 11.99shop now
Capperi di Pantelleria Sotto Sale
These capers are hand-picked on Pantelleria, a small volcanic island between Sicilia and Tunisia, and cured with Italian sea salt. They have a delicate, almost floral flavour.
Price: 14.75shop now
9. Dried legumes
“Italians love their legumes,” Rocco says, adding that he always has beans or lentils handy. “They’re easy to prepare, healthy and versatile.” One simple way to prepare them? Try this one-pot steak pizzaiola with cannellini beans.
Borlotti Beans
Rich in protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, this historical health food comes from Poggio Aquilone in Umbria. They are commonly eaten in minestrone soup and pasta e fagioli.
Price: 15.75shop now
Umbrian lentils
These tiny specialty lentils are grown in the Castelluccio region of Umbria. Their nutty flavour and tender texture makes them an ideal addition to soups, stews and salads.
Price: 7.49shop now
Cannellini Dry Beans
These large, white beans have a firm texture and nutty flavour, while being high in protein and low in fat. They’re a staple in Italian dishes like minestrone soup, and are also a great addition to salads or dips.
Price: 5.49shop now
