The Best Meals Are Often Made With Fewer Than Five Ingredients

Cacio e pepe: pasta, pecorino, black pepper. Caprese: tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, olive oil. Aglio e olio: spaghetti, garlic, olive oil, chili flakes. Some of the most celebrated dishes in the world have fewer than five ingredients. Complexity does not equal quality.

The secret is that fewer ingredients means each one must be excellent. When you have only three components, there is nowhere to hide. A perfect tomato, real Parmigiano, fresh basil — that is a dish. A mealy tomato, processed cheese, dried herbs — that is not. Use fewer ingredients, but buy the best you can afford. Let the quality of each component do the talking.