How To Make An Italian Food Gift Basket From Scratch

Last updated on December 3rd, 2024

Creating an Italian food gift basket is a delightful way to share the rich and diverse flavors of Italian cuisine with anyone!

Whether you are looking to surprise a home cook, someone who loves Italy, make a charity basket, or create a basket for someone who doesn’t actually spend much time in the kitchen, this Italian food gift basket guide is sure to hit home.

Let’s take a look at:

how to make an Italian food gift basket from scratch
who these gift baskets are best for
how to create one and present it well
Italian food items that can be chosen based on your budget or recipient
how best to personalize the basket for your friends, family, and clients

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Who Should You Make an Italian Food Gift Basket For?

An Italian food gift basket can really be for anyone. I mean, who doesn’t like Italian food?

It’s a versatile gift basket that can be tailored to what the recipient likes. And, if you’re creating this for charity, for an auction, or for someone you don’t know, you can include Italian food staple items from my list below that are sure to be appreciated by anyone.

In my experience, I have found an Italian food gift basket works well for:

People who like to travel to Italy
People who love to cook
Charities or auctions

If you want to see more of my gift basket ideas, check out my Italian Gift Guides and Souvenir Guides.

How To Create An Italian Food Gift Basket From Scratch

Choose a wide selection of items from my list below being sure to include items from every category:

Dried food item (Italian pantry staples)
Pasta or rice
Olive oil or other condiment
Italian cooking tools

Don’t feel like you need to include every item on my list to create a good and well thought out Italian food gift basket. In fact, you will probably have a hard time finding a large enough basket to include everything on my list (and it would also get pretty expensive).

Think about your budget. Italian food gift baskets can get spendy so keep this in mind before choosing the size of your basket and items.

Choose a basket size based on how many items you want to include. You want the basket to look full so when in doubt, opt for a small basket that will be overflowing with Italian food items rather than a large basket with just a few items in it.

Think about the person. What do they love most about Italian food? Pasta? Sweets? Be sure to choose things they actually will use. If you are creating a basket for someone you don’t know when, pick a wide variety of items, ensuring there’s something special for any type of person.

Presentation Tips For Making An Italian Food Gift Basket

Consider these presentation tips for making an Italian food gift basket look nice and well thought out.

Use a wicker basket, wooden crate, or decorative box that is the correct size for the amount of items you would like to include. Second hand baskets don’t cost much!
Line the basket with a tea towel.
Make it personal by adding a handwritten note or recipe card to personalize the gift. You can share one of your favorite recipes, your favorite ways to use a specific ingredient or create a list of creative ways to put the Italian food items to good use.

Traveling To Italy: If you travel to Italy a lot, many of these products you can also buy domestically and bring back as a souvenir or gift to include in Italian food gift baskets.

Italian Pantry Staples

Italian Tomato Paste

Italian tomato paste is a kind of canned tomato that is essential in Italian cooking. It’s the base for stews, soups, meat dishes and vegetarian options. The real stuff is so good and easy to find in the USA making it perfect for an Italian food gift basket.

Find it here -> Italian tomato paste

Cheese

A wedge of Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano is a nice item to add to a basket if you are preparing it for the holidays. These cheeses can stay out of the fridge for 24 hours as long as it’s not hot out.

Find it here -> Italian cheese

Chili Peppers From Calabria

frontal view of a hand holding a jar of crushed calabrian chili peppers on a wooden background.

I suggest adding a jar of chili peppers from Calabria for those people who like a little kick. They are a “Made in Italy” product that is easily available online.

Find them here -> Calabrian chili peppers

Pesto

Pesto is one of my favorite Italian ingredients to add to an Italian food gift basket because it can be used in so many ways. Consider adding a label with some of my suggestions on 10+ Ways To Use Pesto – How Our Italian Family Uses It.

Find it here -> pesto

Truffle Goods

frontal shot of various truffle products including pasta and small jars.

Truffle goods are always a hit in an Italian food gift basket because they can be used in a variety of recipes and speak to the culinary traditions of Italian cooking. Choose based on what the person you are gifting to enjoys best (a pate, spread, olive oil, etc.)

Find them here -> truffle goods

Italian Cookies

close up of box of amaretti cookies in a red box.

You are going to want to add something sweet to your Italian food gift basket and Italian cookies are your best bet. They have a long shelf life and can be paired with Italian coffee for an authentic Italian pick me up.

Find them here -> Italian cookies

Pasta, Rice And Beans For An Italian Food Gift Basket

Italian Ribbon Pasta

top view of a package of tagliatelle pasta with a green label held in a hand.

Artisan dried pasta like pappardelle or tagliatelle is essential to any person who loves to make and eat Italian food. It’s the base for so many classic Italian dinner ideas and recipes that can be made in no time.

Find it here -> Italian ribbon pasta

Risotto Rice

Small bags of carnaroli rice for sale at the Rialto Market in Venice, Italy.

Arborio rice or Carnaroli rice are specific varieties of rice used to make risotto, a classic Italian first course. Although readily available, it’s nice to receive and keep on hand to whip up an Italian dinner without much pre-planning. Think about adding a small packet of dried porcini mushrooms which can be used to make a risotto ai funghi (risotto rice with mushrooms).

Find it here -> risotto rice

Dried Italian Beans

Dried Italian beans are one of the most underrated Italian ingredients out there in my experience. They don’t cost very much, add plenty of bulk to the basket and are very important to many recipes throughout all 20 regions in Italy. Consider adding a small list of ways to use Italian beans in the basket which you can read about in Homerun Italian Cannellini Beans Recipes For Dinner – Vegan Recipes Straight From Italy.

Find them here -> dried Italian beans

Italian Condiments For An Italian Food Basket

Choose one from the selection below to add to an Italian food gift basket.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Bottles of Colavita olive oil on grocery store shelf.

Extra virgin olive oil is a must for making an Italian food gift basket. It can be a spendy item but there is no other ingredient that says Italia like EVOO. You can read all about my favorites here.

Find it here -> extra virgin olive oil

Balsamic Vinegar

A bottle of aged balsamic vinegar from Modena is truly a special item to include in an Italian food gift basket. It will last a very long time and adds so much easy flavor without any effort to any number of famous Italian foods.

Find it here -> balsamic vinegar

Cooking Tools And Other Items For An Italian Food Gift Basket

Cutting Board

A wooden cutting board is a nice touch to an Italian food gift basket. It can be used to slice meat, serve charcuterie or cheese and is a useful tool in the kitchen for those who love to cook.

Find it here -> cutting board

Tea Towels

Tea towels are totally optional but can double as a nice “bedding” for all of the Italian goodies in the food gift basket. Lay them under the other items which makes for a nice presentation.

Find them here -> tea towels

Pasta Measurer

A pasta measuring device is a useful tool in preparing pasta at home. Deciding how much pasta to cook is always tricky but this tool makes it a snap. I think it also looks nice and chances are, the receiver of the basket doesn’t have this tool already!

Find it here -> pasta measurer

Risotto Spoon

A beautiful wooden spoon specifically designed for making risotto gives height to your basket and is something most people don’t already have in their kitchen.

Find it here -> risotto spoon

Italian Cookbook

An Italian cookbook is a nice touch if you have space and the budget but totally OPTIONAL. Your book choice should depend on who you are making the Italian food gift basket for. For general Italian food lovers or charity baskets, opt for a general Italian cookbook. If you are choosing for a friend or family member who likes specific kinds of Italian food (northern Italian, pasta, Florentine) choose based on that.