The Store-Bought Pasta Brands Ina Garten Swears By

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Ina Garten likes to reassure fans that "store-bought is fine." But does she apply the same advice to herself? According to an interview with Bon Appétit, yes; The Food Network star's favorite pasta is a common sight on grocery store shelves. "I most often used De Cecco pasta, which I think is really good quality," Garten explained. "I'll use any shape, like fusilli, penne, bow ties, whatever I'm in the mood for."

The Italian brand— with its bright blue box and busty, durum wheat-toting mascot — is readily available stateside. It's one of the few grocery store brands that offers bronze-drawn, slow-dried pasta — both markers of quality. De Cecco isn't the cheapest option at the grocery store, but it won't break the bank, either. Boxes generally retail for around $3.

Garten doesn't stop at grocery store pasta, either. The Barefoot Contessa loves store-bought sauce, too. The brand in question? Rao's Homemade Marinara sauce. According to Garten, the marinara is "just fantastic."

De Cecco may be Ina Garten's go-to, but she'll occasionally opt for something a little more deluxe. "For a really luxurious dish, I love Cipriani Tagliarelle ... It tastes like fresh pasta, but better," she explained to Bon Appétit. "I don't happen to love fresh pasta. I find it, very often, a little too doughy for me." She's not the only celebrity chef to admit that, sometimes, dried pasta beats fresh; José Andrés says that dried pasta is often a better option.

Cipriani pasta is a happy medium for fellow fresh pasta skeptics. Many of the brand's pastas contain eggs, which are a staple ingredient in fresh pasta, but less common in boxed brands. Like fresh pasta, it cooks quickly. "It cooks in three minutes, and it's just fabulous," Garten explained. "I use the Tagliarelle with Urbani's white truffle butter — it's a really easy dish."

Cipriani pasta doesn't come cheap; The Venetian brand retails for around $11 a box. Still, it's an affordable luxury for a special occasion, even for those of us who don't have bestselling books and Food Network fame. You might have trouble finding it in stores, though. Unlike De Cecco, Cipriani pasta isn't available from big box retailers. Seek out specialty grocers, or order it online if you want a taste.