Recipes To Make With Pantry Staples

A well-stocked pantry makes it easy to create memorable meals on the fly, while also cutting out extra trips to the grocery store. Yet, many of us fill our pantries without considering the most important factor of all: Quality. Fresh-tasting ingredients add maximum flavor to any dish, which is even more important during the winter when fresh produce is limited. For instance, using the best-quality canned tomatoes like Tuttorosso Tomatoes brings a fresh-from-the-vine taste to your plate every time. But canned tomatoes aren't the only staple you should have in your pantry. Here are six more ingredients to always keep on-hand.

Just-crushed peppercorns deliver floral and spicy notes that bring complexity to simple dishes like Tomato and Shrimp Bisque (get the recipe). It's time to toss the pre-ground stuff from the back of the cabinet that's far past its prime.

Though we always recommend having fresh herbs on hand, their dried counterparts have a concentrated flavor that emboldens winter dishes like stews and braises. They also provide contrast to sweet ingredients, like in our savory granola bars (get the recipe).

Ditch the pale out-of-season tomatoes in the produce aisle in favor of these standout canned tomatoes, which taste (and look) as if they were just picked. The flavor difference especially shines in a simple dish like Classic Baked Ziti (get the recipe).

Though it's tempting to go cheap on cooking wine, take our advice and select an affordable bottle that you'd normally drink. You'll taste a profound difference in dishes where wine is a key ingredient, like Braised Beef with Red Wine and Tomatoes (get the recipe).

After all, they're one of the few fruits in season now. Keep plenty of lemons on hand, which will add welcome brightness to anything—especially our favorite roast potatoes (get the recipe).

When cooked, dried beans have a better texture than canned. No time for an overnight soak? An Instant Pot cooks them in minutes, making it even easier to make our quick and easy cassoulet (get the recipe).

Great olive oil has a full-bodied flavor that can make or break a dish. When it comes to cooking, we grab the good stuff to finish the plate or a dip, like Tuscan Hummus (get the recipe).