You can count on finding extra virgin olive oil, garlic and dried porcini mushrooms in Marcella Hazan's kitchen. And, in the refrigerator of the woman who's done more than perhaps anyone to popularize Italian cooking in America, there's sure to be a large chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

"I use Parmigiano-Reggiano almost every day that I cook," says Hazan, the author of ground-breaking cookbooks, including The Classic Italian Cook Book (Knopf). Freshly grated, the cheese goes on pasta and risotto, in the breading for chicken cutlets and other meats, and over vegetables. A favorite method calls for topping asparagus or fennel with a mixture of bread crumbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano and melted butter. After a few moments in the oven, the vegetable emerges with a delicious cheesy crust.

To make an everyday meal extra-special, Hazan recommends passing grated Parmigiano-Reggiano at the table to sprinkle over soup such as minestrone. Another idea: Float crostini topped with cheese shavings on steaming bowls of white bean and escarole soup with sausage (pictured). A piece of the cheese rind adds deeply savory notes to the broth; once softened, it's cut up in delectable morsels, which are returned to the soup.

Salads made in the Italian mode, with a few judiciously chosen ingredients, are
simple but sophisticated. For instance, a lovely winter salad of greens tossed with sliced fennel and walnuts, then topped with golden shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano, takes only minutes to make.

Parmigiano-Reggiano is also an exceptional cheese to eat on its own-as a snack or table cheese before or at the end of a meal. Using the point of a small knife, break the wedge into small chunks.

What makes this Italian cheese so special? "Parmigiano-Reggiano has a round rich flavor and unique texture," explains Hazan. "It tastes a little grainy but also creamy-somewhere between the two. After being grated, it is softer and very flaky, with the ability to melt and blend with other ingredients. In my opinion, it has no rivals at all."

Parmigiano-Reggiano is made only in a carefully defined zone of north-central Italy and is aged, on average, for two years. When buying a wedge for your own kitchen, look for the words "Parmigiano-Reggiano" spelled out in pin dots on the rind. In addition to meeting strict standards set by the Parmigiano-Reggiano consortium, the wheels are certified PDO (Protected Designation of Origin), a European Union system designed to protect the names of traditionally made foods.

For more information on Parmigiano-Reggiano, contact nradke@parmigiano-reggiano.com, call 315-475-0475 or visit www.parmigiano-reggiano.it.

WHITE BEAN SOUP WITH PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO® CROSTINI

1 tablespoon olive oil
12 ounces sweet or hot Italian sausage, cut in 1-inch slices
1 medium-sized onion, sliced
1 wedge Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 3 ounces) with rind
3 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) ready-to-serve reduced- sodium chicken broth
1 can (14 to 19 ounces) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
4 cups packed escarole leaves sliced in 1-inch pieces
4 to 6 slices Italian bread, toasted and brushed with oil

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, heat oil. Add sausage and onion; cook and stir until sausage is lightly browned on all sides and onion is golden, about 5 minutes; drain off fat. Cut rind off Parmigiano-Reggiano wedge; reserve cheese. Add rind, broth and beans to sausage mixture. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, covered, until sausage is cooked through and cheese rind is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Meanwhile, pull a vegetable peeler or cheese slicer across Parmigiano-Reggiano wedge to make thin shavings; crumble remaining cheese; set aside. Remove cheese rind to a cutting board; cut in small cubes; return to soup along with escarole. Bring to a boil. Divide soup among soup bowls. Place one toast slice in the center of each serving. Top crostini with Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings; sprinkle crumbled cheese on soup.

YIELD: 4 to 6 servings

FENNEL, WALNUT AND PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO® SALAD

1 wedge Parmigiano-Reggiano (about 4 ounces)
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
6 cups lightly packed mixed salad greens
1 medium fennel bulb (ribs and leaves removed), thinly sliced
3/4 cup walnut halves

Pull a vegetable peeler or cheese slicer across Parmigiano-Reggiano to make thin shavings; shred any remaining cheese; set aside. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir in shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano. Remove and reserve half of the lemon-cheese dressing. Toss greens with the dressing remaining in the bowl; equally divide greens among 4 serving plates. In the same bowl, gently combine fennel, walnuts and the reserved half of the lemon-cheese dressing. Spoon the fennel mixture onto the greens. Top with reserved Parmigiano-Reggiano shavings.

YIELD: 4 servings

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Caption:
Shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano® cheese add a dramatic touch to a robust soup of sausage, white beans and escarole.
Please credit Parmigiano-Reggiano®

 

Shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano® cheese add a dramatic touch to a robust soup of sausage, white beans and escarole.		Shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano® cheese add a dramatic touch to a robust soup of sausage, white beans and escarole.
Please credit Parmigiano-Reggiano®		Please credit Parmigiano-Reggiano®