Whether it’s piled high in a mountain atop a steaming bowl of pasta, melted across the top of a bubbling aubergine parmigiana or used more subtly in a creamy sauce, Parmigiano Reggiano has an important role to play in all sorts of traditional Italian dishes. This is by no means a cheese that’s limited to just Italian food though. Parmigiano Reggiano is a hugely versatile product and can be used to add a rich umami depth to all sorts of different recipes.
The famously sharp, savoury taste of Parmigiano Reggiano is largely a result of the long ageing process that the cheese goes through and over time tyrosine crystals start to develop, giving the cheese a slight crunch too. Parmesan can therefore be used in recipes both as a form of seasoning but also to add texture to a dish. Over time, chefs across the world have become more and more inventive in the ways they use Parmigiano Reggiano in their cooking, leading to some truly innovative and unusual Parmesan-based plates. These are five recipes which use Parmigiano Reggiano in ways you might not have seen before.