What’s in Her Cart: Shop Italian Essentials with the Maestra
Grab a basket and come shopping with Italian cooking instructor Viola Buitoni, who wrote the book on vinegar, tomatoes, and anchovies.
Becky Duffett
Italian cooking instructor Viola Buitoni bicycles to Bi-Rite a few days a week. If that name rings a bell, yes, she’s from the Buitoni family of pasta fame. Born in Rome and raised in Perugia, she grew up savoring spoonfuls of warm ricotta and playing in a pantry hung with prosciutto. Now she lives in the Mission, where she’s taught at 18 Reasons for 13 years and shopped at the 18th Street Market for 19 years. Lucky for fans, her first cookbook debuted this fall, digging deep into her personal pantry with Italy by Ingredient.
Buitoni estimates she does 80 percent of her shopping at Bi-Rite, plus a few farmers’ markets. She loves the seasonal produce and flexible staff, who she quizzes with specific requests. “I’m a difficult customer, for sure,” Buitoni confides in her rich accent. She has high standards, yet finds most of her favorites. “I always talk about crossing my Italian cornerstone ingredients with the bounty of American agriculture. Shopping at Bi-Rite is the epitome of that for me.”
So grab a basket and come shopping with the maestra. Buitoni recommends keeping a well stocked pantry, so this shopping list focuses on the staples to start. Then you can swing back for seasonal veggies and sustainable proteins, such as this season’s sweet winter squash, broccoli di Ciccio, and bitter chicories.
Italian cooking instructor and cookbook author Viola Buitoni | Molly DeCoudreaux
Leonardi Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
Buitoni describes herself as a “vinegar buff” and personally stocks about 10 vinegars. She recommends Leonardi balsamic vinegars from Modena, which hit the right balance of flavor and affordability. Grab the “gold label” for everyday salad dressings and pan sauces.
Laudemio Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
The book doesn’t cover olive oil, “because it’s bigger than a chapter.” But if you must know, the maestra reserves this Tuscan olive oil for drizzling over anchovies or finishing a pesto, when that green artichoke flavor bites through. (Her all-purpose cooking oil is California Olive Ranch.)
Simmering whole peeled tomatoes | Molly DeCoudreaux
Bianco DiNapoli Whole Peeled Tomatoes
“They’ve expanded the tomato situation!” Buitoni says. “Which makes me very happy.” For whole peeled tomatoes she prefers fleshy and sweet Bianco DiNapoli grown locally in Northern California. (For tomato paste, “which I call tomato toothpaste,” try a tube of Mutti.)
Marinated Castelvetrano Olives
Her favorite type of olives depends on what’s cooking, from mild and meaty Castelvetrano and Cerignola to other smaller and darker varieties. If you can’t decide, go for a medley, but Buitoni does believe in buying olives with the pits intact to preserve the best texture.
Slicing cooled, thick polenta | Molly DeCoudreaux
Bayview Pasta Coarse Polenta
Polenta can be beautifully homegrown in California, and Buitoni finds comfort in this local version from Bayview Pasta, with varied texture and deep corn flavor. “You eat it and feel like you’re back in a field,” she says. “It’s got that antique thing going. Old, grounded, soul filled.”
Rustichella d’Abruzzo Rigatoncini
For everyday dried pasta, Buitoni reaches for Rustichella, which comes from Abruzzo, and the “primo grano” line stars durum wheat from that region. Bi-Rite carries basic shapes like spaghetti and more unusual twists like garganelli, but Buitoni’s “favorite shape in the world” is rigatoni, with rough ridges to catch sauce and big holes to hide ingredients.
Lou Bergier Pichin
In the cheese department, she always stocks Parmigiano Reggiano, Belfiore mozzarella, and Bellwether ricotta for cooking, and “my kid is a gorgonzola fiend.” But her latest snack obsession is a raw milk toma from Piedmont at the base of the Alps. It’s a little funky and unusual while still sweet and mild enough to please a crowd.
Prosciutto, guanciale, and other salume | Molly DeCoudreaux
Pio Tosini Prosciutto di Parma
Buitoni recommends freshly sliced prosciutto for snacking and packaged for cooking. The Tosini family produces a treat worth draping over autumn figs or pears. “It’s got all of the beauty of a prosciutto di Parma,” she explains. “It’s quite sweet and it’s got the nice pink fat that really melts in your mouth.” Pro tip: Don’t eat it straight from the fridge, let it soften first.
Anchovies drizzled with olive oil | Molly DeCoudreaux
Agostino Recca Salted Anchovies
While she’s thrilled to see the tinned fish trend take off, Buitoni has always been into anchovies. She recommends Recca, a family of fishmongers from Sicily. A large tin of the highest quality anchovies come packed in salt and require rinsing. If you’re in a rush, unscrew a little jar packed in olive oil.
Salt cod soaking in water | Molly DeCoudreaux
Salt Cod
Buitoni’s been teaching about this undersung ingredient for a decade, even when it was only available at Italian delis. Until a few years ago, when she was thrilled to spot a small wooden box on top of the Bi-Rite fish counter. It’s available during the holidays and by request, so if you don’t see it, just ask a team member. Pick up a pound and try a slice at a time.
Becky Duffett is a food writer living and eating in San Francisco. Follow her on Instagram at @beckyduffett.
