Dried Goods

While risotto rice is an absolute staple of the northern Italian kitchen, long grain rice is a common ingredient everywhere in Italy, because it is so useful for adding to soups, or for serving plain as an accompaniment.

Unusual pasta shapes can be found in southern Italian kitchens, where dried durum-wheat pasta is a daily necessity. In Sicily, one of the favourite shapes is anelli (rings), which look like little golden wedding rings. In Puglia, Basilicata and Calabria, rustic varieties are popular, such as orecchiette (little ears) or strascinati (meaning ‘dragged’, referring to the way the pasta is made). For the cooking of Lazio and Campania, spaghetti, maccheroni and bucatini are important to have to hand, as well as penne - the only really acceptable partner for the popular and fiery l’arrabbiata, one of Lazio’s most famous and popular sauces.