Italian Cheese: The Who’s and What’s
If there is one thing that prevents me from becoming vegan, it’s cheese.
Cheese might be the ultimate form of versatile dairy products (ice cream aside), and these days there are dozens, if not, hundreds of varieties of cheese that hit the shelves of your local grocery store every day.
But with so many different varieties of cheese, it can be somewhat confusing to know what kinds are good for what, so I’m going to go over XX different Italian cheeses that can be found in just about any supermarket.
Some might be very familiar to you, and some might be new, but I guarantee that once you give any of these cheeses a taste, you will be glad you did.
Ricotta
One of the most widely used forms of cheese across Italy, ricotta is a cow’s milk cheese that is simply curdled milk that is strained from the curds and whey, giving you a soft, slightly grainy cheese that is used for almost anything from pasta and pizza to cannoli.
It’s also a great thing to add to scrambled eggs for extra creaminess and richness.
While there is nothing wrong with the ricotta that you can buy, it’s actually one of the quickest and easiest cheeses to make at home.
What you do is slowly heat 1 gallon of whole milk until it reaches 200 degrees F/93 C, then add 2/3 cup of either lemon juice or distilled white vinegar and a teaspoon of salt, then stir until the milk curdles.
Pass through a strainer lined with a few layers of cheesecloth then let it cool and strain for about half an hour to remove as much whey as possible.
Variant: Ricotta salata is a firm, crumbly, salty version of ricotta that is great to sprinkle onto salads.
Mascarpone
If you’ve ever had tiramisu, then you will be very familiar with this creamy delight.
Mascarpone, or what I like to call Italian cream cheese, has a very thick, creamy consistency and slightly tangy flavor that makes it highly identifiable.
As great as mascarpone is for tiramisu and sweet fillings, it also has savory applications. For example, if you beat some chopped basil and lemon zest with some mascarpone, you then have a creamy, fragrant spread to put on chicken, fish, or even spread on toast.
Gorgonzola
I understand that not everyone is a fan of strong cheeses like blue cheese, but I love them. The stronger the better, I say.
Gorgonzola is a form of blue cheese made from cow’s milk that has spores called Penicillium glaucum, which form due to the natural molding.
In my opinion, gorgonzola is at its best when served as it is with a cheese platter, charcuterie board, or eaten straight from the fridge. Don’t worry, we all do it, I won’t tell anyone.
However, if I were to cook with it like for mac and cheese, I would suggest mixing it with a more neutral-flavored cheese such as provolone so you still get the strong flavors of the gorgonzola, but it won’t be too overpowering.
Burrata
A favorite of mine, burrata is a cow’s milk cheese similar to fresh mozzarella that features a semi-firm outer casing surrounding creamy, silky curds that makes it one of the ultimate soft cheeses.
Burrata is a perfect example of the sort of cheese that you don’t need to do much to it to make taste incredible, but I like serving it with crostini or as an appetizer with some blistered tomatoes.
Burrata even has sweet applications, like a wonderful sweet pizza with grilled summer peaches, sliced basil, and torn burrata for a unique sweet and savory taste.
Mozzarella
Another well-known Italian cheese, mozzarella is made up of curdled milk, either cow or buffalo, set with specific enzymes known as rennet.
These days, mozzarella can be found in 2 basic forms, fresh and low-moisture or blocks, both of which are acceptable and usable for different reasons.
Fresh mozzarella has a much fresher flavor and slightly creamier texture, I like to slice it as it is as lay it on top of pizza or crostini.
Low-moisture mozzarella is the stuff you get in those blocks that you can grate, it has a much firmer texture but is much more ideal for melting, I enjoy sprinkling it on top of pizza, chicken parm, or lasagna as it melts beautifully.
No matter which form of mozzarella you use, it can guarantee that stretchy, cheesy delight that puts a smile on anyone’s face.
Taleggio
Taleggio is a semi-soft, washed-rind cow’s milk cheese named after Val Taleggio, an Alpine valley in Italy.
While it may have a strong aroma, taleggio’s flavor is actually quite mild and slightly fruity, so on a cheese board it pairs wonderfully with white wine, jams, and any cracker you want.
As for cooking, taleggio’s softness makes it perfectly meltable like mascarpone but has that added mild tang that can help lift cheese sauces or any kind of cheese-forward dish.
Fontina
First produced in Italy but has seen worldwide production in recent years in the US, Denmark, Sweden, France, and Argentina, fontina cheese is a cow’s milk cheese that has a semi-firm texture like low-moisture mozzarella but has a roasted, buttery note that makes it, unlike any other cheese.
With its creamy, melting quality, fontina has a wide range of uses from pizza to casseroles to baked strata to grilled cheese sandwiches. I personally enjoy mixing it with mozzarella when I’m doing chicken parmesan as it adds extra flavor along with its melting qualities.
However, one of the most traditional uses for fontina is fonduta alla valdostana, a melted cheese dish like fondue which is made by whipping fontina cheese with milk, eggs and truffles.
Provolone
What many might know as the round cheese and one of the more recognizable cheeses in the market today, provolone is a semi-firm cheese originating in Campania near Mt. Vesuvius. While you may be familiar with the cylindrical cheese sold in deli shops, some producers make provolone with pear, sausage, or cone shapes.
Because of its melting qualities and mild flavor, provolone is beloved by sandwich shops and delis as it doesn’t dry out easily and can be piled up on a sandwich for added creaminess.
Provolone is also great when melted into grilled cheese, on top of a burger, or as a macaroni and cheese base.
Variations: Provolone dolce has a sweet, almost buttery flavor while provolone piccante has a sharp, slightly spicy flavor.
Pecorino Romano
One of the most beloved sheep’s milk cheeses in Italian restaurants, pecorino romano is a hard, crumbly, salty cheese that is known for its tangy, almost spicy flavor. Hardly any other sheep’s milk cheeses have received more recognition.
I can go on and on about the uses for pecorino. It’s great to be thinly sliced and served on a cheese board, and it’s great to finely grate over pasta dishes, pizza, stews, soups, risotto, and so much more!
My favorite way to do it has to be with a classic cacio e pepe, a pasta dish made by combining pasta with lots of black pepper, pasta water, and pecorino romano for a spicy, salty bite that transports you to Tuscany with one bite.
Grana Padano
A cousin to parmesan, grana padano originates in the Po River valley in Northern Italy. The main difference is that grana padano doesn’t have as many regulations or rules governing it’s process as parmesan does, so grana is often the cheaper choice. It’s also not as crumbly and has a more mild flavor.
While you can certainly use grana padano as many ways as you would use parmesan, it won’t melt into a pasta sauce as easily, so it’s more ideal to grate on top of pasta dishes as a finisher.
Grana is also nice to slice or grate onto sandwiches, fish, stews, and soups, and since it’s not as expensive as the last cheese on this list, you can use it well without breaking the bank.
Parmigiano Reggiano
In my mind, the king of Italian cheeses despite our need to sell it in packets with pizza that have the texture of sawdust and taste like its rind. Parmesan is a cheese that is well renowned for its salty flavor, crumbly texture, and nutty aroma.
By Italian law, real parmesan has to be made from cow’s milk and aged for at least 12 months. It might sound like a lot, but all of that aging is what gives us the iconic flavor of Italy’s most well-known cheese.
I could write a book describing all of the uses for parmesan. I love grating it over pasta dishes, cooking it into stews, soups, and creamy sauces, I love bashing it into pesto and just using a peeler to scrape off a bit and eat that as it is.
Also, the rind of parmesan has it’s uses as well. It can be tossed into soups, pasta sauces or risotto to infuse with it’s nutty, salty flavor.
It is also incredible when made into a frico, or cheese crisp. All you need to do is take a few tablespoons of grated parm, spread it into small discs on a baking sheet lined with silicone mats, then bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until you get a golden crispy disc of cheesy delight.
All of the cheeses I mentioned are delicious ways of adding flavor, creaminess, and texture to dishes or even simply spread out onto a cheese board. And that was just the basics, there’s still a whole world of cheese I haven’t covered, but that will have to wait for another time.
