Visits: 4
You only need a handful of thoughtfully produced ingredients to eat well in summer, so splurge on the good stuff. Don’t forget to grab handfuls of fresh herbs, and if you spot zucchini flowers at the market, they look lovely scissored and scattered over Fried Zucchini and Basil Casarecce.
Illustration: Eva Naroditskaya
1. Anchovies
These stealth flavor bombs can be melted into sauces, mashed into dressings or simply laid on top of a slice of bread and butter. Spanish Don Bocarte brand anchovies are fleshy and pink ($35 for 198 grams, amazon.com). Italian Rizzoli come in a charming tin ($33 for three 3.17-ounce tins, Food52.com). Ortiz can be found at many supermarkets.
2. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
I use a versatile, neutral oil to cook with and a more distinct one for finishing. Lately I’ve been cooking with Partanna, fresh and rich ($46 for 3 liters, YummyBazaar.com), and delicate, buttery Frantoia, both produced in Sicily. I recently discovered a Portuguese oil, Herdade Do Esporão Azeite Virgem Extra: smooth, balanced, excellent for dressings and finishing. When shopping, search the label for the words “hand picked” and “cold pressed.” If it has a date stamped on it, you’re on to a good thing.
This light, bright recipe, spaghetti with sun-kissed tomatoes, ricotta and crispy prosciutto, is so quick to make. Find the recipe below
3. Butter
Let me bang on about butter. Big fan! Pasta and butter are the ultimate companions. Pure comfort. While a pound of pasta is cooking, scoop out about ½ cup of the salty, starchy pasta water, pour it in a frying pan, melt in 5-6 tablespoons of butter, and crank in plenty of black pepper. When the pasta is al dente, pop it in the frying pan and toss everything together until creamy and coated. Be sure to blanket it with cheese. Or, start the meal off with a warm slices of rustic bread, each topped with lashings of butter, an anchovy and flaky salt. For cooking, try Delitia Butter of Parma, a delicate, unsalted type made from quality pasteurized creams collected in Parma and Reggio Emilia, where some of the best Italian cheeses are made ($11 for 8 ounces, igourmet.com). For serving, try French Le Meunier Fleur Sel Butter, wood-churned and hand-molded, or Isigny Sainte-Mère Beurre Demi-Sel Gros Grains with coarse salt, famous for its golden color, easy to spread.
4. Tomatoes
Canned Certified DOP San Marzano Tomatoes are a must. Mutti San Marzano Pomodori Pelati Tomatoes are rich in flavor and color ($6 for 14.1 ounces, eataly.com). I’ve also been using Californian Bianco DiNapoli plum tomatoes. And I always have a few bottles of Rao’s brand marinara sauce in the pantry, too, for nights when I just can’t be bothered.
In ‘Simple Pasta’ (Aug. 30, Ten Speed Press), Odette Williams offers a pasta for every occasion, including plenty of light and easy recipes ideal for summer meals.
5. Italian Cheese
You want DOP Aged Parmigiano-Reggiano with its waxy rind that can be used in a stock or broth down the road, once the cheese itself is gone ($29 for a pound, MurraysCheese.com). I’m smitten with Pecorino Toscano: a softer, sweeter, Pecorino that sings shaved on a simple salad. A knot of burrata is always a showstopper with sliced heirloom tomatoes and basil leaves.
6. Flaky Sea Salt
You can’t do better than Maldon Sea Salt Flakes, which deliver a bright, briny crunch ($7 for 8.5 ounces, amazon.com). But don’t miss the brand’s Smoked Sea Salt Flakes, either. I use them a lot in the summer to add vavoom to tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, stone fruits and burrata.
This chopped salad pasta is a highly portable picnic and potluck hit. Find the recipe below.
7. Vino
You can’t have pasta without wine. Cardedu Nùo Vermentino di Sardegna is a light, highly drinkable, white from Sardinia ($20 for 750 ml, WhiteHorseWine.com). Dry-farmed, organic, from a family-run outfit, it’s worth hunting down. Over a long, boozy lunch at one of my favorite New York restaurants, Café Altro Paradiso, I discovered the 2018 Ronchi Barbaresco, a Nebbiolo from Piedmont. Served slightly chilled, this medium-plus-bodied beauty has backbone but won’t take you down in the daytime. I’m planning on buying a case as I’m told it’s going to age well.
8. No-Cook Desserts
Why turn on the oven? Chill cherries and serve them with Antica Torroneria Piemontese Hazelnut Nougat, so nutty and chewy ($9 for 5.3 ounces, eataly.com). Or, buy a good gelato, drizzle a little olive oil on top, sprinkle on flaky sea salt and serve with Le Nuttine, those charming straw-shaped Italian wafers filled with hazelnut-cocoa cream.
