Food Network UK

Parmigiano Reggiano Recipes

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  • Fresh, tender asparagus spears make this light tart the perfect starter.
  • Crispy little bites of pastry topped with juicy tomatoes and crunchy pine nuts.
  • Visit cheese heaven with this pure, unadulterated soufflé.
  • Topped with a refreshing lemon cream, these canapés will melt in your mouth.
  • Rare beef with pears and chicory for a light supper.
  • Luscious linguine tossed with wafer-thin slices of Parma ham and tender peas.
  • Use dried porcini mushrooms to add an intense depth of flavour to this classic.
  • Fancy a cosy night in? Pick the perfect partner with this creamy squash soup.

In association with Parmigiano Reggiano, we're giving two lucky winners the chance to attend a cooking lesson for two at Jamie Oliver's food and kitchen shop, Recipease.

Enter our Italian Month competition >>

While celebrating all things pasta and pizza in honour of Italian Month, it would be rude to ignore one of Italy's finest ingredients, Parmigiano Reggiano, aka Parmesan cheese. Luckily, our friends at Parmigiano Reggiano have shared 12 new recipes.

This nutritious cheese with a rich, fruity flavour and a slightly grainy and flaky texture, is hand-made without any additives and is the perfect accompaniment to those classic Italian dishes.

The origins of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese date back to the 13th century, where forty generations of cheese masters have handed down their extraordinary skills. Today, around 430 small artisan dairies craft Parmigiano Reggiano cheese with the same dedication.

Together the area, the natural feed, the high quality milk with no additives and its long ageing process make Parmigiano Reggiano cheese unique.

Five Cheesy Facts:

  • As the cows need milking twice every day and the milk must be used immediately, the Master Cheesemaker in any Parmigiano Reggiano Factory works 365 days a year and never takes holiday.
  • 1kg of Parmigiano Reggiano requires 16 litres of milk. This means that one wheel of Parmesan requires about 600 litres.
  • Under Italian law, only cheese produced in the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, Bologna to the west of the Reno River and Mantua to the east of the Po River may be labelled "Parmigiano Reggiano”.
  • After the cheese has been eaten, the rinds can be used to add richness and character to soups.
  • The remaining whey in the vats after separation from the curds is traditionally used to feed the pigs from which "Prosciutto di Parma" (Parma ham) is produced.

Parmigiano Reggiano in Numbers:

12 months is the minimum aging process

16 litres of milk makes 1kg of cheese

20-24 months is the average aging of the wheels

39kg is the weight of a wheel

600 litres of milk to make one wheel

409 dairies

237.000 cows

2.947.292 number of wheels produced in 2009

Watch Parmigiano Reggiano's videos and take a tour of the home of Parmigiano Reggiano, learn the production process, and the making of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Enter our Italian Month competition >>

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Find out more about Parmigiano Reggiano.