CHEESES FOR PASTA

 

CHEESES FOR PASTA

 

When purchasing hard cheese such as Parmesan, demand a slice cut from the whole cheese instead of picking out a ready-cut piece packed in plastic. Wrap the cheese in kitchen foil and keep in the fridge. Store fresh and soft cheeses sealed in airtight containers in the fridge.

 

Mozzarella - This creamy, mild cheese melts well for a pasta topping. Once opened, it will keep for 2-3 days refrigerated in brine.

 

Pecorino Romano - A hard cheese made from sheep's milk, this is similar to Parmesan, but has a more incisive flavor.

 

Ricotta - Often used as the basis for pasta fillings, ricotta is a young, soft cheese with a slightly tangy flavor.

 

Fontina - A semi-hard cheese with a taste reminding of smoking wood, fontina softens easily and blends into sauces.

 

Gorgonzola - This is the Italian version of blue cheese, with a pungent flavor.

 

Grana Padano - This is a semi-hard Italian cheese with a grainy texture, made from cow's milk and similar to Parmesan.

 

Mascarpone - A smooth, double cream, dessert cheese, use it for a pasta-based pudding.

 

 

 

 

Traditional Italian cuisine varies from region to region and does not follow North-South tendencies. Northern and southern Italian cuisines can be differentiated, primarily, by the north using more butters and creams and the south more tomato and olive oil. Generally, however, there is a strong difference between the regional use of cooking fat and traditional style of pasta. Inland northern and northeastern regions usually prefer more butter, cream, polenta, mascarpone, grana padano, and parmigian cheeses, risotto, lasagna and fresh egg pasta. Coastal northern and central regions are more of a link between north and south and often use tortellini, ravioli and are known for great prosciutto. The southern regions are known for mozzarella, caciocavallo, and pecorino cheeses, olive oil, and dried pasta. Southern Italian cuisine also uses the ubiquitous tomato.

 

Although traditional Italian dishes vary by region, they also do not follow strictly to a North/South pattern either. The north tends to use more butter, creams, polenta, mascarpone, grana padano and Parmigiano cheeses, risotto, lasagna and fresh egg pasta, while the south is more tomato and olive oil based cooking, along with mozzarella, caciocavallo and peconrino cheeses, and dried pasta. Coastal and central regions often use tortellini, ravioli and prosciutto in their cooking. Even pizza varies across the country. In Rome the crusts are thin and cracker-like, while Neapolitan and Sicilian pizzas have a thicker crust.