The Best Italian Products at Costco, According to an Italian

Costco has firmly established itself as a household essential. With its unbeatable prices on bulk goods and a selection of groceries so beloved that many items develop a cult following, it’s easy to see why so many shoppers swear by it.

But each Costco location is also — to put it mildly — massive, and it can be hard to decide exactly which products are worth buying. As a pasta lover who needs to know I'm getting the best groceries possible, I turned to an expert source to uncover the top Italian products at the superstore.

For years, I’ve followed Jessi and Alessio Pasini online — a married duo sharing their experiences as an Italian-American couple living in the United States. Jessi is American, Alessio is Italian, and their combined heritage inspires a lot of fun videos featuring everything from Jessi breaking core Italian “rules” (like snapping spaghetti in half) to Alessio’s thoughts on boxed mac and cheese.

The pair shop at Costco often, and one of their most viral videos, with almost 17 million views on Instagram, features a lighthearted take on what Alessio would (and wouldn’t) buy as an Italian at the bulk retailer. It’s no surprise the clip resonated with so many people—who better to guide shoppers on authentic Italian finds than an Italian living in the U.S.?

Curious to learn more, I reached out to the Pasinis for their recommendations on what to buy, what to skip, and why. And for every item they recommend, Jessi and Alessio emphasize that “We love these and eat them ourselves frequently.”

The Italian items you should buy from Costco

Cento tomato products

Jessi and Alessio note that they always recommend Cento tomato products, because “Cento is a very trusted Italian brand for tomatoes and sauces.” You may recognize the signature red and yellow label of this brand, which sells options including tomato paste, tomato passata, whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, and more. 

One commonality across all the cans of Cento's tomato offerings is a small label denoting “product of Italy.” The company also states on its website that “Cento is the only United States brand that has its production facility in the area known as Sarnese Nocerino in the Campania Region of Italy, literally in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius.” Using tomatoes grown and processed in Italy is undoubtedly why so many Italians trust the ubiquitous brand.

The location of Cento's production facility is especially important for its San Marzano tomatoes. To qualify as “true” San Marzano tomatoes, the fruit must be grown in the Sarnese Nocino region of Italy. (Not all brands that sell a San Marzano variety of tomato have grown them in this region.) While Cento doesn’t have a DOP (Denominazione di Origine Protetta) certification, which guarantees that a product is from a specific area, its San Marzano tomatoes are certified by a third-party agency. Simply put, you can trust that these tomatoes reap the benefits of being grown in volcanic, mineral-rich Italian soil.

Giovanni Rana brand products

The Pasinis tell Food & Wine that “Giovanni Rana is also a very popular brand in Italy and we love eating the ravioli and tortellini they make.” This brand is known for its fresh pasta products, so you’ll find them in the refrigerated section. As Jessi and Alessio point out, the ravioli and tortellini are particularly popular. These come with a variety of different filling options, including four cheese, mushroom, and Italian sausage. 

If a filled pasta isn’t quite your thing, Giovanni Rana sells plain fresh pasta options such as tagliatelle, linguine, and lasagne sheets as well.

Parmigiano Reggiano

At Costco as well as most other American grocery stores, you’ll likely notice a lot of “Parmesan” products. Consider this a friendly PSA to stop buying Parmesan cheese, and start buying Parmigianno Reggiano. According to the Pasinis, “Parmigiano Reggiano is the KING of cheeses. Please forget about the ‘Parmesan' you might be using and switch. People often think these are the same type of cheese, but they are NOT.” 

They also suggest buying the Kirkland brand of Parmigiano Reggiano. To identify the real deal, look for dotted lettering that spells out “Parmigiano Reggiano” on the rind of the cheese.

In order to be labeled as Parmigiano Reggiano, a cheese must be made in one of a few select regions in Italy (Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna to the left of the Reno river, or Mantua to the right of the Po river) and meet strict regulations for production. These qualifications ensure that it has the signature deeply savory and nutty flavor you expect. In contrast, American-made Parmesans may have a less complex flavor; pre-grated Parmesans are especially egregious, and often have preservatives or anticoagulants added in.

The Italian products you should skip at Costco

Kirkland olive oil

“While the Kirkland brand olive oil by itself is pretty good, we no longer recommend it since it is sold in plastic containers. Plastic doesn’t do a good job at keeping olive oil fresh and keeping it from oxidizing,” the Pasinis explain. They also note that “If Costco would sell their olive oil in dark glass bottles, that would be a game changer!”

Published research in the “Journal of Food Science and Technology” details that “Commonly, extra-virgin olive oil is packaged in glass, tin, or plastic containers. The primary advantage for the first two is their impermeability to gases, but the glass and plastic containers have some disadvantages as they favor photo-oxidation.” In other words, because plastic is more porous than glass or tin, it's easier for gas to permeate the container and cause olive oil to oxidize, which may eventually give it a rancid flavor.

However, there is one other thing to be wary of when it comes to the way olive oil is stored: light. If you select a glass bottle of olive oil, make sure it’s a dark or opaque glass, to limit the amount of light that can penetrate through, as this can also prompt oxidation.

Pasta that doesn’t list its drying temperature

When purchasing dried, shelf-stable pasta, Jessi and Alessio say you’ll want to ensure it was dried at a specific temperature. The couple explains that “Drying pasta at low temperatures and for a longer amount of time is key to its quality and how your body digests it. 

“The box should list drying temperatures less than 45°C (about 113°F). If there isn’t transparency on the package about the drying temperature (and we mean actually listing the temperature and timing used!) then we can’t recommend it. Sometimes a package will say ‘slow-dried at low temperatures,’ but that’s not enough to guarantee that it’s being done properly.”

Pasta that is dried too quickly may be too brittle and break easily, whereas low and slow drying maintains its structural integrity and texture. So keep your eye out for a temperature range the next time you’re picking up pasta at Costco.