The ingredients I keep on my own shelves, grouped by what they do in the kitchen. Each links to a search on Amazon, so you can compare sizes and sellers.
Olive oils
Partanna Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Cold-pressed Sicilian oil, bold and peppery, a daily workhorse. Buy the large tin.
Frantoia Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Smooth and fruity. Excellent for finishing and for salads.
TuttoCalabria Calabrian Chili Infused Oil
Olive oil infused with Calabrian chilies. Instant heat and depth to drizzle on almost anything.
Chili peppers and heat
TuttoCalabria Crushed Calabrian Chili Peppers
The definitive jar: fruity and smoky. Buy the club size.
L'Oro del Sud Whole Calabrian Chilis in Oil
Packed in olive oil. Good on antipasto, pizza and in stews.
Italian Peperoncino Flakes
More aromatic than American red pepper flakes. Essential for pasta aglio e olio.
'Nduja and cured meats
TuttoCalabria 'Nduja Spread
Soft, spreadable, spicy salumi. On toast, stirred into pasta, or spread on pizza.
TuttoCalabria 'Nduja Infused Olive Oil
Olive oil infused with cured 'nduja. A remarkable finishing oil.
TuttoCalabria 'Nduja Pasta Sauce
A ready-to-heat weeknight shortcut, bold and authentic.
Tomatoes and sauces
Cento San Marzano DOP Whole Tomatoes
The gold standard for sauce: sweet, low in acid, with few seeds.
Pomi Strained Tomatoes (Passata)
A clean, Neapolitan-style base with no added salt and true tomato flavor.
Sicilian Estratto di Pomodoro
Ultra-concentrated sun-dried tomato paste. A small spoonful adds great depth.
Southern pasta shapes
Orecchiette
The shape of Puglia, made to cradle chunky sauces and broccoli rabe. Look for the rough-textured bronze-die kind.
Bucatini
Thick, hollow spaghetti that is harder to find locally. Perfect for all'Amatriciana and thick sauces.
Paccheri
Giant tubes of Neapolitan origin, spectacular with seafood ragu and chunky meat sauces.
Casarecce or Fusilli col Buco
Twisted southern shapes that grip hearty meat sauces.
Nuts, honey and specialty items
Bronte Pistachio Cream or Raw Pistachios
Bronte pistachios are among the finest in the world: intensely green, sweet and grassy. The cream is wonderful on pasta or pastry.
Pantelleria Capers in Salt
Far better than brined capers. Rinse well and use them in pasta, salads and salmoriglio.
Calabrian Wildflower or Citrus Honey
Floral and complex. Lovely with aged pecorino, 'nduja boards and ricotta.
Cheese
Pecorino Crotonese
Sharper and saltier than Romano, the grating cheese of the deep south.
Pecorino Siciliano DOP
Younger and milkier than Sardo. An excellent table cheese to pair with Nero d'Avola.
Ricotta Salata
Pressed, salted ricotta, essential for pasta alla Norma and summer vegetable dishes.
Anchovies and preserved fish
Colatura di Alici
The southern Italian fish sauce. A few drops turn plain pasta into something extraordinary.
Agostino Recca Anchovy Fillets in Oil
The benchmark Sicilian anchovy: flat, silky and perfectly salted.
Oil-Packed Tuna, Sicilian or Calabrian
Pole-caught tuna in olive oil is unrecognizable next to tuna in water. Good in salads, on bruschetta and in pasta.