We’ll come up with any excuse to eat pasta, so this year we're kicking off 2025 by celebrating our new favorite winter tradition: Dry Pasta Jan.
The post-holiday period can be a downer for many, particularly when trapped inside, so this month we’re all about pairing pasta with pantry staples to make easing into the new year, well, a little easier. We’ve got some fun things planned (including two new recipes – SF-style garlic noodles inspired by the Bay Area icon at Thanh Long, and a Penne Arrabbiata featuring a secret ingredient), but to get things started, we’re sharing a few essential ingredients that we always have in our pantries + fridge.
Later this month, we’ll be getting nerdy about bronze-cut pasta, popping off Pasta People Q&A’s with two humans bringing fresh energy to the home kitchen, and we might be giving away some noodles too. Wink wink.
If you’re feeling inspired, join us in commemorating the Dry Pasta Jan season by tagging @flourandwaterfoods with #drypastajan over on the 'gram. We’ll feature the top 3 posts on Shift Notes at the end of the month, and will also restock those folks’ pantries with a four-pack of our organic spaghetti, campanelle, elbow mac, and penne.
In the meantime, enjoy this look inside our kitchens.
Happy Dry Pasta Jan, fam.
-Chefs Thomas + Ryan
- Red Boat Fish Sauce - We love this family-owned, Bay Area-based brand that uses a centuries-old fermentation process to make their sauce with just two ingredients: anchovies + sea salt.
- Burlap & Barrel Silk Chili Flakes - Aleppo pepper is always in rotation in our kitchens as a milder alternative to red pepper flakes, and this Turkish Silk Chili variety is top notch for adding a bit of heat without blowing out the palate.
- Togarashi - We source this seven-spice Japanese seasoning from The Japanese Pantry, one of our favorite vendors. Their version contains red chili pepper, golden sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, Japanese pepper (sansho), dried yuzu peel, poppy seeds, and shiso for an unrivaled punch of umami-citrus-heat. We love it on + in everything.
- West~bourne Organic Avocado Oil - Avocado oil is a great neutral cooking oil with a high smoke point, so it's a kitchen workhorse for sautéing, roasting, even baking. Not all are created equal, so we recommend checking labels to ensure a quality product like west~bourne’s that’s 100% pure organic avocado oil.
- Séka Hills Olive Oil - Born in Northern California’s Capay Valley, Séka Hills Olive Oil is always in rotation in our restaurants and home kitchens for both the flavor of the product + their commitment to environmental stewardship.
- AGRUMATO® Citrus Oil - This Italian finishing olive oil brings a touch of acidity to the plate (and, yes, we really are recommending three different oils).
- Marshall’s Farm Honey - This small, family-owned Bay Area farm has been producing pure, raw honey for 30+ years. We love using this product in our restaurants as it’s a true representation of the region drawing from the hills, valleys, meadows, and microclimates of the SF Bay Area.
- OmSom Sauces - We’re all about the midnight pasta life post-service, and OmSom’s sauces make it easy to whip up a quick dinner (or second dinner). Sauces like the yuzu miso + spicy bulgogi can also double as a marinade for meat.
- Love Corn - Hear us out, this crunchy corn snack is great as is, but can also add texture + crunch to a big salad. Which we sometimes eat… on the side of a bowl of pasta.
- Gochujang - While gochujang does need to be refrigerated after opened, we’d be remiss not to include it here. This fermented Korean condiment brings heat and a touch of sweetness and funk to sauces, marinades, soups, and so much more.
- Kewpie Mayo - And since we’ve already cheated with one pantry-to-fridge item, throwing in Kewpie Mayo for good measure. After slathering this egg yolk-only, self-described “umami style mayo” on your sandwich, you’ll never go back to regular again.