The Right Way to Eat Parmigiano Reggiano (It’s Not Just for Pasta)

There is more to Parmigiano Reggiano than pasta. It's the king of Italian cheeses, and deserves the spotlight. Sure, it's amazing grated over a dish of noodles, but that's not the limit of Parmigiano's abilities—and if that's the only way you're using it, you're missing out. Italians always keep a hunk in their refrigerators for all kinds of dishes, from snacks to salads to entrees. We spoke to chefs and other Italian cuisine experts to find out their favorite ways to savor this classic aged cheese.

What Is Parmigiano Reggiano?

Known as the king of cheese, Parmigiano Reggiano is a traditional Protected Designation of Origin (DOP) aged cheese that has been made by hand for over 900 years in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, and is only made in this area. The ingredients are cow’s milk, salt, and rennet—that’s it, just three ingredients. The DOP is a mark of quality earned by following strict and elaborate rules. For Parmigiano Reggiano, that means everything from what the milked cows eat to each stage of production and sale. By law, Parmigiano Reggiano must be aged a minimum of 12 months, but some is aged longer—typically 24, 36, and 48 months—the longer it matures, the crumblier and richer it becomes.

How Parmigiano Reggiano Is Different From Parmesan

At a quick glance, Parmigiano Reggiano might look the same as the cheaper Parmesan cheese, but it’s not. Parmesan is not regulated in the same way and can be made anywhere. It does not have the same aging requirements, and can be mass-produced cheese with varying ingredients. It lacks the complex, nutty, and savory profile of the authentic, higher-priced Italian cheese. We always opt for the real-deal imported Parmigiano Reggiano because the fakes don’t match it.

How to Know if You’re Buying the Real Deal

When shopping for this authentic cheese, look for the name "Parmigiano Reggiano" in dots on the rind and the DOP seal of the Consortium.

How to Eat Parmigiano Reggiano (Besides on Pasta)

Yes, Italians do grate Parmigiano Reggiano over pasta dishes, but that’s not all. They always have Parmigiano in their refrigerator, says Elizabeth Minchilli, food writer, cookbook author, and founder of the Italian culinary tour company,  Via Rosa—and they use it in myriad ways.

Easy Entertaining

Chunks: Simply cut Parmigiano Reggiano into chunks for an easy antipasto, says Minchilli. "I break it into pieces about half an inch square and drizzle the very best balsamico tradizionale I have over the top," she says. The chunks won't be uniform; their craginess is key, it's one of the many appealing qualities of the cheese. She drizzles the cheese right before guests arrive or while they’re sitting there, because, "If you do it too early, the vinegar soaks into the cheese, and you lose that beautiful glistening effect." This aperitvo pairs perfectly with a spritz, a Negroni, or a glass of prosecco, she notes.

Cheese and charcuterie board: An entertaining board is a natural for Parmigiano Reggiano, says Domenica Marchetti, author of nine books on Italian cuisine and a cooking teacher. "The cheese pairs beautifully with mortadella, Prosciutto di Parma, and also culatello, the latter two cured meats are made in the very same area as the cheese," she notes. "Sometimes I serve it in small chunks on the same board as the cured meats. Or I sometimes give it a place of honor by setting a nice wedge on its own board. A bunch of grapes, or an array of dried fruits—figs, dates, apricots—and small mounds or bowls of nuts added to the board make for a colorful and interesting presentation," she says.

Sublime Snacking

In addition to snacking on chunks of Parmigiano Reggiano, our experts enjoy the cheese in these ways:

Toasted cheese sandwich: Massimo Spigaroli, chef and owner of Antica Corte Pallavicina, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Polesine Parmense, Italy, enjoys the flavor and texture of Parmigiano Reggiano in a toasted sandwich in place of the Fontina he often uses.

Frico: The crispy wafers of melted Parmigiano Reggiano, known as frico, are one of Marchetti’s favorite snacks. They are easy to make, she says. “Simply place a small mound (2 to 3 inches wide) of freshly grated Parmigiano into a nonstick skillet and fry it until it melts and turns golden on the bottom. Flip and fry the other side, she says. Marchetti likes to drape these little cheese wafers over a rolling pin while they’re still warm to give them a curved aspect. In addition to enjoying them as a snack, she also uses them as a topper for creamy soups, such as butternut squash or roasted pepper soup.

Nonna's snack: Parmigiano Reggiano doesn’t have to be cut into chunks. It's simple to use a vegetable peeler to shave off thin pieces, as Luciana Squadrilli, food writer, critic, and senior editor of Food&Wine Italia, does for a snack she learned from her grandmother. “She made a very concentrated San Marzano tomato sauce that she spread on bread and topped with flaked Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.”

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Super Salads

The complex cheese might not seem an obvious salad ingredient, but our Italian experts say otherwise.

A simple salad: “My favorite salad hack is adding Parmigiano Reggiano to boost a lunchtime salad with protein, umami, or both," says Minchilli. My default is to grate it directly over the salad, but I’m also very happy to use a vegetable peeler to shave off long, thin pieces.

Caesar salad: For Caesar Salad, Marchetti shaves the cheese into shards rather than grating and scatters the shards on top of the salad.

Mushroom carpaccio: This is another fabulous way to use the cheese, says Marchetti. Very thinly sliced large cremini mushrooms are layered onto a bed of arugula, "drizzled with a dressing of very good olive oil whisked with a squeeze of lemon juice," and finished with a couple of grindings of black pepper and shavings of Parmigiano on top.  

Zucchini salad: A simple salad of raw zucchini also benefits from the addition of shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano, says Squadrilli.

Other Dishes of Note

From eggy pastry to starchy rice dishes, there is no end to the dishes that benefit from adding Parmigiano.

Quiche: Skip the cheddar and use the king of cheese in your quiche, says Spigaroli; it's what he does.

Fondue: It might not be something you thought of using Parmigiano for, but both Spigaroli and Tieni say it’s a winner. Spigaroli likes to use two different ages of the cheese in his fondue.

Risotto: Chef Luca Marchini of L'erba del Re, Trattoria Pomposa, and Pizzeria tRe in Pomposa, Modena, says his favorite way to use Parmigiano Reggiano is in risotto. Sara Tieni, deputy director of the Italian food magazine Elle Gourmet, agrees, explaining that the cheese should be stirred into the risotto at the end of cooking, which gives the dish a unique creaminess.

Rinds

And when you have a piece of Parmigiano Reggiano, our experts say don’t toss the rind. 

Minestrone: “I never make vegetable minestrone without adding the rind, chopped into small pieces and freshly grated to clean it. It adds incredible flavor and avoids waste,” says Squadrilli. 

Broth: Tieni uses rinds for making broth, along with bones and vegetables, to add flavor. She explains it’s a traditional technique in Italian home cooking, and one endorsed by chef Massimo Bottura.