The Simple Pantry Staples Lidia Bastianich Always Has On Hand

When chefs film a cooking show, it seems like they have access to every ingredient their heart desires and that, depending on the production budget, no ingredient is too difficult to obtain. Us home cooks can only dream of such culinary liberty. But, in truth, celeb chefs are just like us when off the air and keep specific (and often budget-friendly) staples on hand to throw together a quick, tasty meal. Lidia Bastianich is one such chef. When EatingWell asked the Emmy-winning cooking show host what the top three pantry ingredients she always has in her kitchen were, Bastianich revealed they were good olive oil, canned plum tomatoes, and lots of legumes.

Bastianich said that by just putting olive oil and canned tomatoes together with some garlic, you can create a simple pasta sauce, a tasty risotto base, or a flavorful sauce for fish, shrimp, or chicken dishes. As for the legumes she keeps handy, Bastianich prefers lentils, dried beans, and split peas which she can turn into hearty soups with the addition of some aromatics. As for the olive oil, spend the few extra bucks and go with extra virgin olive oil for superior flavor.

Lidia Bastianich's career has spanned over half a century, and in that time she has written numerous cookbooks and hosted several cooking shows. In her vast array of recipes, you can find dozens that utilize her main pantry staples of beans, canned tomatoes, and olive oil. In her pasta e fagioli, she purees cannellini beans to act as a thickener to the dish. Separately, she toasts garlic in olive oil, adding in other ingredients including canned tomatoes which she crushes by hand. She adds pasta and more cannellini beans to the soup before it's finished.

Other recipes Bastianich utilizes these three ingredients in are lentil and rice soup, lentil country salad with warm bacon vinaigrette, escarole and white bean soup, and minestrone. I share the Italian chef's fondness for having olive oil, good canned tomatoes, and beans in my pantry regularly. One of my family's favorite side dishes is so easy it can be put together in no time. I rinse canned cannellini beans, drain them, and toss them with extra virgin olive oil, lemon zest and juice, red chili flakes, dill, parsley, and green onion. It's cool, fresh, and full of flavor. For a quick dinner, I'll sauté some onion and garlic in olive oil and cook some crushed canned tomatoes and basil. I puree everything with an immersion blender, add some canned beans and warm everything through before garnishing with burrata cheese, toasted pine nuts, and a generous drizzle of more olive oil.