10 Must-Have Italian Foods You Can Find At Costco

Italian food has become so heavily ingrained in American cuisine that you'd be hard pressed to find someone who didn't grow up eating spaghetti and meatballs once a week — or someone who hasn't had chicken alfredo, stuffed shells, or homemade lasagna at least once in their life. The only downside to these delicious dishes? They can take a really long time to make, and you may not always have the time to do so. Plus, it can be hard to make these meals from scratch. Thankfully, there are plenty of options available from Costco that can make these Italian foods easier or more delicious.

If your family eats a lot of the Italian foods listed above, there are some products you'll want to put on your radar. Some (like pre-made options) will make things faster and simpler, while others (like high-quality pasta) will help make your meals tastier. Ready to discover what those are so you can add them to your next shopping list? Here are ten must-have Italian foods you can find on your next trip to Costco.

This Italian Sausage and Beef Lasagna from Kirkland Signature is just as good as homemade. The ingredients list includes high-quality items like 100% USDA Choice ground beef chuck, vine-ripened tomatoes, and ricotta and mozzarella cheeses. It's a recipe your grandmother would approve of. But the best part? This lasagna comes fully prepared, and all you need to do is pop it in the oven until it's done. Feeding your family a warm, savory Italian meal, stuffed full of cheesy goodness and seasoned to perfection, has never been easier.

Although this is a meal on its own, you can make it a little more filling (and potentially stretch it a little further) by quickly whipping up some garlic bread and a small side salad to serve it with. For the best garlic bread, grab a baguette from the Costco bakery during your trip. Cut it into thick slices and season it with butter, garlic, salt, parsley, and Parmesan cheese.

For less than $15 in most locations, you can get your hands on 25 of Nonni's Almond Dark Chocolate Biscotti. If you're not familiar with biscotti, it's a type of crunchy Italian cookie, traditionally flavored with almonds. Some families use these biscuits to help their babies with teething, but that's far from the only reason you should keep them on hand.

These scrumptious cookies have a layer of dark chocolate along the bottom and pair perfectly with your morning coffee, so feel free to treat yourself as early in the day as you want! Of course, it doesn't have to be morning — indulge in one or two biscotti with your afternoon tea or just as a snack whenever your sweet tooth strikes. Oh, and these are Kosher, so they're perfect for individuals with certain religious diets, but as a word of warning, they aren't appropriate for people who need to avoid gluten or almonds.

There's nothing better than homemade basil pesto to elevate the flavor profile of numerous dishes, but it takes quite some time to make because there's a lot of cutting, measuring, and blending involved. Thankfully, the Kirkland Signature Imported Basil Pesto is fantastically authentic and imported from Italy. If you frequently make Italian-inspired dishes, you'll want to keep a jar (or two) of this on hand at all times.

Basil pesto is such a versatile food, too. Use this on your pasta, chicken, or potatoes for an earthy, nutty flavor profile. Or, use it as a condiment and layer some on your next sandwich or wrap. You can even have it as a snack with some toasted bread slices! Just thinly slice a baguette and throw it in the oven until it's golden brown, then smear a little pesto when it's done for a delicious snack you'll want to eat time and again.

Meatballs can be used in a wide range of Italian-styled dishes, and you'll be able to make many of those with one bag of these Kirkland Signature Italian Style Beef Meatballs. After all, this six-pound bag contains around 140 meatballs, and you can reseal it between uses. Oh, and the best part is that these meatballs are microwavable if you want to snack on one or two outside meals.

The most obvious way to use these meatballs is to serve them with spaghetti and Italian tomato sauce, but you could also make meatball subs out of them, paired with homemade marinara sauce and some mozzarella cheese. Or you could serve the meatballs as a main course with sides like a big garden salad, polenta, mashed potatoes, fried pasta, or rice. If you want more ideas for how to use up this giant bag of meatballs, there are several recipes on the back of the bag for you to try!

Need a delicious Italian dish to feed a large gathering of friends and family, but don't have a lot of time to throw something together? This Kirkland Signature Five Cheese Tortelloni with Parmigiano Reggiano has you covered! The package contains about 14 servings that can be ready in just two minutes. You don't have to eat it all at once, though. The package is conveniently split in two, so you can also just eat this for your standard family dinner if you want.

Since there are no preservatives, you can feel good about indulging in as much of this tortelloni as you want, and serve it up in varying ways to make it feel like a new dish each time. For example, you could top it with tomato sauce to keep the meal ready in about two to five minutes. Or, if you have a little extra time, add some lightly wilted spinach, halved cherry tomatoes, and toss in garlic butter. Serving it with a cream sauce could also be fantastic.

Not all pasta is created equally. The best option is always homemade pasta, but not everyone has the time to lovingly create this each time they want an Italian-inspired meal. Thankfully, you can use the Garofalo Organic Pasta Variety Pack instead, for results as close to homemade as they come. Plus, this pasta is USDA certified organic, made in Italy, and is crafted primarily from 100% Durum wheat semolina.

For less than $12 at most locations, you get three unique packs of pasta shapes. Serve the casarecce with tomato sauce and meatballs for an alternative to traditional spaghetti noodles. Craft upgraded macaroni and cheese with the gemelli, or pair it with a cream sauce and some thinly sliced Italian sausage. Make baked ziti the whole family will love, with the penne ziti rigate. Of course, these are only examples, and you should feel free to let your imagination run wild when it comes to potential applications for these high-quality pastas!

If you believe marinara sauce shouldn't have dozens of ingredients on the label, you'll love Rao's Homemade Marinara Sauce. Not only does this premium, all-natural sauce taste amazing, but it's made with simple ingredients, most of which are seasonings. Italian whole peeled tomatoes, olive oil, and onions are paired with salt, garlic, basil, black pepper, and oregano. That's it. And when you buy it at Costco, you get two jars for less than $15, which could be enough for two to four meals, depending on what you use it for.

Marinara sauce has so many uses, both in traditional Italian cuisine and in standard American fare. You can use it to create pizza or pour some into a ramekin as a dipping sauce for mozzarella sticks. Top your hearty eggplant Parmesan with a heaping helping of this marinara, or use it to create your favorite chili recipes. Best of all, this is a "dump and heat" sauce that can be ready in just a handful of minutes when you're busy.

Here we have another pre-made Italian meal that can either feed a small gathering or be conveniently split into two family meals. There are two individually sealed trays in this box of Rao's Eggplant Parmesan, which make about 11 servings together. Tender breaded eggplant slices are topped with Rao's Marinara Sauce (the same sauce mentioned above) and imported Italian cheeses. There are no preservatives, and no artificial colors or flavors. While the ingredients are designed to be more health-oriented, this meal isn't suitable for those with diets restricting wheat, gluten, milk, or eggs.

This isn't fast to make, but it is ridiculously easy. Simply preheat your oven, remove the meal from the box, and pop it in the oven for about an hour. You don't even need to remove or cut the plastic covering. Alternatively, you can even make this in the microwave if you prefer, to have your delicious Italian meal ready in about 20 minutes. Serve it alone or pair it with a quick side salad and some garlic bread.

The addition of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese can elevate any Italian dish by providing a more robust, sharp cheese flavor. This specific option from Kirkland Signature has an exceptionally strong, pungent taste because it's been aged over 24 months. With a pound of it for just under $22, you can use this cheese in a lot of dishes before having to restock.

If you're not sure about the difference between the typical Parmesan you'll find as a powdery substance in the grocery stores and Parmigiano Reggiano, you're far from alone, but the latter is a higher-quality product that has to adhere to strict regulations and come from specific destinations. The former is a primarily American alternative that doesn't have those regulations and, as such, is often of a lower quality. Use this high-quality aged Italian cheese as a topping for your spaghetti, or serve it over pasta with just a little butter.

Mild Italian Sausage is one of the most versatile Italian foods you can find at Costco, and this option from Kirkland Signature is fantastic. Gluten-free and made with zero preservatives, you can pick up a 3.5-pound pack for less than $15. Depending on the size of your family and what you're cooking up, this could be enough for about one to four meals. If you're going to make more than one meal out of this package, it's a good idea to unpack it into smaller, vacuum-sealed bags after getting home from the store. This will help them to stay fresher longer, and if you decide to freeze them, it'll help prevent freezer burn.

A simple way to cook these sausages is in tomato sauce with onions and peppers. Serve the dish in hoagie rolls for a classic sausage, pepper, and onion sandwich, or alongside rice and vegetables as a main dish. You can also chop your sausages up and add them to stir-fries, spaghetti, or even omelets.