Grocery Shopping Tips: How to Pick the Best Ingredients for Italian Cooking

Ingredients

Everyone loves a warm bowl of red sauce pasta. However, making a red sauce pasta recipe can be overwhelming for many, especially if you are a first-time cook. To perfect a red sauce pasta or any other Italian recipe, you need the right ingredients to make the dish perfect. 

But are these ingredients readily available at your nearest grocery store? What are they necessary for? Here is a guide to picking the best ingredients for Italian cooking, including the perfect red sauce pasta recipe.

Ingredients Required for Red Sauce Pasta Recipe

Here is a list of ingredients you need for a red sauce pasta recipe. Buy them from an online grocery store for stress-free cooking. 

Pasta

An Italian staple is incomplete without the mention of pasta. Spaghetti, penne, and fettuccine, in a diverse variety of shapes, pair well with different sauces. For a classic red sauce pasta recipe, most people prefer pasta shapes like penna, spaghetti, or linguine.

Tomatoes

The most dominant element in a red sauce pasta recipe is tomatoes. To ensure a flavourful sauce, you must carefully pick the right kind of tomatoes: fresh, juicy, ripe, and soft. The choice of tomatoes greatly impacts the consistency of the sauce and the overall flavour.

Garlic Clove

Garlic, with its strong aroma, is the heart of Italian dishes. Whether you mince it or chop it into small pieces, adding garlic to your sauce ensures your cream is aromatic and rich in flavour. Garlic also compliments the tomatoes and balances out their sweetness for a classic Italian arrabbiata sauce. 

Onion

Onions are a must-have for a classic red sauce pasta recipe. This simple vegetable adds a subtle sweetness to the sauce, helping to balance the taste of tomatoes and other ingredients. 

Italian herbs

For the authentic aroma of Italian food, traditional Italian herbs are a must. The required Italian herbs include:

Oregano: For the earthy flavour of the sauce.

Chilli flakes: For that spicy kick.

Olive Oil

Italian food tastes best when cooked in olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil gives the pasta a peppery flavour and adds shine, making it more flavoursome. This oil also ensures the pasta does not stick to each other.

Basil leaves

One of the most popular Italian herbs is basil. Its refreshing, minty and smokey taste makes a red sauce pasta recipe delicious. You can add chopped or shredded basil leaves to the pasta sauce and then garnish your bowl of pasta with fresh basil.

Cheese

Can you imagine Italian food without cheese? Italian food is defined by cheese. While Parmesan cheese is considered the best for a red sauce pasta recipe, you can enjoy a smooth and creamy bowl of pasta with mozzarella or any other cheese.

A Quick Red Sauce Pasta Recipe

  1. Boil the Pasta: Boil an adequate amount of water in a big pot and add a little salt to taste. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook it for a few minutes.
  2. Cook the Tomatoes: Heat olive oil in a pan and saute garlic cloves and onion. Then add the tomatoes, add some water and cover with a lid. Cook the tomatoes until they are soft and mushy.
  3. Make the Puree: Allow the cooked tomatoes to cool, and then grind them to a smooth paste.
  4. Prepare the Sauce: In another pan, add olive oil, chopped garlic and onions. Then, add the tomato puree and cook it until it becomes half. Next, add Italian herbs and basil leaves.
  5. Mix them: Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and mix well. Once done, serve on a plate with grated cheese and garlic toast on the side.

Conclusion

With the right ingredients, you can make authentic Italian dishes like this red sauce pasta recipe without any hassle. If you are unsure where to buy these ingredients, go to a store nearby or opt for an online grocery store like Swiggy Instamart, which offers doorstep delivery.

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