Arugula salad, spinach with butter, cheese crisps: three simple recipes for Parmigiano Reggiano by Stefano Arturi
Tuesday 4th September 1666: The Great Fire of London which started on Sunday is now unstoppable and "...the whole sky [is] on fire", writes chronicler Samuel Pepys. That evening, Pepys digs a pit in his garden and buries his wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano to save them from the flames, they were so precious.
The intense taste of Parmigiano Reggiano has had a reputation in Italy and abroad, gracing the tables of the rich and famous, for centuries. Nowadays, although it is a more affordable luxury, it is still considered il re dei formaggi (the king of cheeses).
Parmigiano Reggiano is distinguished by the fact that it is both a meal and a cooking cheese of exceptional quality and naturally lactose-free. A young Parmigiano Reggiano, aged 12 to 18 months, has a delicate, milky flavor, pleasant to nibble on as an aperitif or as shavings on salads. As it ages, the flavors deepen: at 22-24 months it is perfect in classic Italian cuisine and as a cheese dish, with a good balance between sweet and savory flavours. From 30 months, the flavors evolve towards something more full-bodied, the texture more grainy, ideal in sumptuous baked pasta dishes, or served with a pear in butter, or with a drizzle of slightly bitter chestnut honey . Parmigiano Reggiano aged 40 months or more is a treat, with its deep, earthy flavors: eaten as is, with a luscious wine - bliss.
Cheese works with a wide variety of dishes. Here are three of my favorites to inspire your own Italian cooking…
Insalata di rucola, ceci e Parmigiano Reggiano (Arugula, Chickpeas and Parmesan Salad)
Tuesday 4th September 1666: The Great Fire of London which started on Sunday is now unstoppable and "...the whole sky [is] on fire", writes chronicler Samuel Pepys. That evening, Pepys digs a pit in his garden and buries his wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano to save them from the flames, they were so precious.
The intense taste of Parmigiano Reggiano has had a reputation in Italy and abroad, gracing the tables of the rich and famous, for centuries. Nowadays, although it is a more affordable luxury, it is still considered il re dei formaggi (the king of cheeses).
Parmigiano Reggiano is distinguished by the fact that it is both a meal and a cooking cheese of exceptional quality and naturally lactose-free. A young Parmigiano Reggiano, aged 12 to 18 months, has a delicate, milky flavor, pleasant to nibble on as an aperitif or as shavings on salads. As it ages, the flavors deepen: at 22-24 months it is perfect in classic Italian cuisine and as a cheese dish, with a good balance between sweet and savory flavours. From 30 months, the flavors evolve towards something more full-bodied, the texture more grainy, ideal in sumptuous baked pasta dishes, or served with a pear in butter, or with a drizzle of slightly bitter chestnut honey . Parmigiano Reggiano aged 40 months or more is a treat, with its deep, earthy flavors: eaten as is, with a luscious wine - bliss.
Cheese works with a wide variety of dishes. Here are three of my favorites to inspire your own Italian cooking…
Insalata di rucola, ceci e Parmigiano Reggiano (Arugula, Chickpeas and Parmesan Salad)What's Your Reaction?
