We Asked 3 Italian Chefs to Name the Best Olive Oil, and They All Said the Exact Same Thing

If there’s a single group of people I trust unequivocally, without any doubts, it’s Italian chefs. I know that’s a sweeping statement, but think of it this way: Their standards are super high and they’d never, ever serve you a bad tomato. To me, that’s incredibly trustworthy behavior!

So, seeing as my olive oil stash was running low, I decided to ask Italian chefs to name the end-all, be-all best bottle at the grocery store. Although they might argue over who makes the best Bolognese, the three chefs I interviewed all agreed: Partanna Extra-Virgin Olive Oil is the one I should keep hand on hand for finishing dishes, making vinaigrettes, and adding that all-important rich-buttery-peppery-fruity flavor to pasta.

Chef Gianluca Guglielmi, who hails from Vicenza, Italy, uses extra-virgin olive oil in nearly every recipe at Donato & Co. in Berkeley, California. “During my career of over 45 years in the kitchen I’ve tasted probably more than 300 extra-virgin olive oils,” says Guglielmi. But kitchen time wasn’t enough, as Guglielmi adds that he even took classes through Organizzazione Nazionale Assaggiatori Olio di Oliva (O.N.A.O.O.), an Italian organization that teaches people how to properly taste extra-virgin olive oils, to increase his knowledge.

With all this experience under his belt, this has led Guglielmi to rely on the olive oil made by Sicily’s Partanna. The company cold-presses Castelvetrano olives to yield a liquid gold that’s spicy and unique, a profile that’s distinct to the olives that come from the region. The gentle nature of cold-pressing means that the flavor and color are well-preserved (the olives are not reheated in the process), and the olives are pressed within four hours of being plucked from the tree so the resulting olive oil is fresh and vibrant, yet ultra-buttery and robust.

Chef Matthew Cutolo of Gargiulo’s in Coney Island couldn’t agree more. “Partanna is one of my go-to oils when I want something bold and flavorful,” says Cutolo, who especially likes to use it to add a stand-out bit of spice when drizzling after cooking as a finishing oil. “The bold, peppery flavor really comes alive when drizzled over heartier dishes like eggplant caponata or a bowl of pasta e fagioli. It has enough character to elevate even the simplest recipe.”

The fruity, spicy nature is also what drew Chef Philip Guardione of Piccola Cucina Group, which operates Italian restaurants in a handful of locations, to this unique Sicilian oil. And he would know, as he hails from the same island himself, noting that this olive oil can be found easily by his adopted home of New York City at grocery stores like Whole Foods Market and Fairway whenever his own stash runs low. (You can also buy it directly from Partanna or at Amazon.)

As for me, I grabbed my most recent tin at World Market, which feels more than fitting for anyone else wanting to raise their own standards to Italian chef-level.

Do you agree with these chefs? Tell us about it in the comments below.