Gennaro Contaldo shares the secret to Italian cooking with five new Parmigiano Reggiano PDO recipes
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Parmigiano Reggiano PDO is one of Europe’s best loved hard cheeses. In this brand new series of recipes TV chef and stalwart of Italian cooking, Gennaro Contaldo shares the secrets to cooking with every Italian nonna’s favourite ingredient.
Parmigiano Reggiano PDO campaign ambassador, Gennaro Contaldo has created five mouth-watering recipes showcasing the different ways of using the cheese and how to bring to life the range of flavours from the minimum maturation of a 12-month aged Parmigiano Reggiano cheese through to 24 month and 30 month. Gennaro has created recipes including a traditional erbazzone vegetable pie, beef involtini ragu, a lentil ragu, a gnocchi dish and a panzanella salad. So, there’s something to suit everyone’s tastes and any time of year!
Gennaro Contaldo, has long championed Parmigiano Reggiano PDO as a star ingredient in many of his dishes, using different maturities of the cheese to enhance different types of dishes. He said: “Parmigiano Reggiano PDO is an ingredient that has been a staple in my kitchen for decades, both personally and professionally. Parmigiano Reggiano PDO is a cheese that brings with it a lot of character, presenting an abundance of flavours and aromas the more you work with it.”
Parmigiano Reggiano has Protected Designation Origin (PDO) status and can only be made, using timeless traditional methods, in a small area in northern Italy, including the provinces of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, and Mantua to the right of the river Po, and Bologna to the left of the river Reno. So, the first step to delicious dishes is buying great quality, authentic Parmigiano Reggiano. Make sure to look for the PDO logo, along with the European Union logo, which guarantees authentic Parmigiano Reggiano.
These five new dishes offer an easy introduction to cooking with Parmigiano Reggiano PDO. The ragu also shows how to use the rind of the cheese to add a unique umami flavour and reduce food waste. See the full recipes as below…
ERBAZZONE Green vegetable pie with 24-month aged Parmigiano Reggiano PDO
Gennaro said: “This rustic pie from Emilia Romagna has humble origins and was made to use local seasonal greens of the area as well as some local cheese. My version uses Swiss chard but you could use spinach and lots of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO for a flavoursome pie.”
Serves: 6-8 people
Ingredients:
For the filling:
40ml extra virgin olive oil, and extra for brushing
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
100g pancetta, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
750g Swiss chard, roughly chopped including the stems
150g grated Parmigiano Reggiano PDO
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 28cm round tart tin, lightly greased with extra virgin olive oil For the pastry:
400g plain flour
8g salt
30ml extra virgin olive oil 200ml water
Method:
1. To make the pastry, combine flour and salt in a large mixing bowl, add extra virgin olive oil and water and work into a smooth pastry. Wrap in cling film and leave to rest while you make the filling.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan.
3. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large pan, add garlic and pancetta and sweat for a couple of minutes. Stir in the onion and sweat for about 4 minutes until softened. Stir in the Swiss chard, a little salt and pepper to taste and cook on a medium to low heat for about 15 minutes until tender. Remove from the heat, leave to cool, drain off the excess liquid and stir in 100g of the grated Parmigiano Reggiano PDO.
4. Divide the pastry in half, one slightly bigger. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the bigger piece and line the prepared tin. Fill with the chard filling and sprinkle with the remaining grated Parmigiano Reggiano PDO. Roll out the other piece of pastry, place over the top, close and crimp the edges. Prick all over with a fork, brush with a little extra virgin olive oil and bake in the oven for 45 minutes until lightly golden.
INVOLTINI DI CARNE AL RAGU Filled beef rolls slow-cooked in tomato ragu with 24-month aged Parmigiano Reggiano PDO
Gennaro said: “This traditional Southern Italian recipe takes me back to my childhood days when we would often enjoy a dish like this for Sunday lunch or feast days with all the family. I have used beef in this recipe, but you can also use pork or lamb. Thinly sliced pieces of meat are filled with Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, parsley, garlic, pine kernels and sultanas and slow-cooked in tomatoes, resulting in a rich sauce which can be used to dress pasta as a first course followed by the meat involtini as a main course.”
Serves: 4 people
Ingredients:
8 small thin beef steaks for frying
25g Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, freshly grated & extra for sprinkling
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Handful of fresh flat parsley, torn
1tbsp pine kernels 1tbsp raisins salt & black pepper 400g large rigatoni pasta
Green salad leaves, to serve Toothpicks or kitchen string For the sauce : 4tbsp olive oil
100ml red wine
1 onion, very finely chopped
1 celery stick, very finely chopped
1 carrot, very finely chopped
2 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
1tbsp tomato purée, diluted in 300ml of lukewarm water
Handful of fresh basil, torn
Method:
1. Arrange the slices of meat on a chopping board or a clean work surface and flatten the steaks with a meat tenderiser (if you don’t have one, place a flat wooden spatula over the meat and bash with the palm of your hand.) Season each with salt and pepper, sprinkle with garlic, pine kernels, raisins, grated Parmigiano Reggiano PDO and parsley. Roll each slice tightly and secure well with toothpicks or with kitchen string
2. Heat the olive oil in large saucepan. When hot, lower the heat, add the meat rolls and seal well on all sides. Increase the heat, add the red wine and simmer until reduced by half. Remove the meat and set aside.
3. Add the onions, celery and carrots to the pan and stir well. Cook until the remainder of the wine has nearly evaporated, then put the meat back in the pan, and pour over the diluted tomato purée and the chopped tinned tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, add the fresh basil, stir well, lower the heat, partially cover with a lid and cook for 1.5/2 hours. Stir from time to time and check for seasoning.
4. Towards the end of cooking time, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the rigatoni until “al dente.” Serve the tomato sauce with the cooked rigatoni and sprinkle over grated Parmigiano Reggiano PDO. Then serve the meat rolls as a main course with a green salad.
RAGU DI LENTICCHIE Lentil Ragu with 30-month aged Parmigiano Reggiano PDO
Gennaro said: “Rich lentil ragu is the perfect substitute to the traditional minced meat Bolognese. Simple to prepare with store cupboard ingredients, it makes a speedy nutritious meal at any time. For best results, use the small brown or green lentils that are widely available and do not require pre-soaking. Please note, I have put an approximate amount of stock and also the cooking time may vary depending on the brand of lentils you use. I like to add the rind of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO which adds extra flavour to the ragu and as it cooks it softens and is perfectly edible. Never throw Parmigiano Reggiano PDO rinds away, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge and pop them into ragus, soups and stews.” Serves: 4 people
Ingredients:
3tbsp extra virgin olive oil
40g pancetta, finely chopped (optional)
1 medium-sized onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 medium-sized carrot, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
40ml red wine
200g small brown or green dried lentils
1tbsp tomato purée
Approximately 900ml hot vegetable stock
Whole or chopped pieces of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO rind
400g tagliatelle
Salt to taste
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano PDO , to serve
Method:
1. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large, deep frying pan, over a medium heat, add the pancetta and stir fry for a minute, add the vegetables and bay leaves and sweat for about 4 minutes until softened. Increase the heat, add the wine and allow to evaporate. Stir in the lentils. Dilute the tomato purée with some of the vegetable stock and stir in.
2. Add enough stock to cover the lentils, add the Parmigiano Reggiano PDO rind, partially cover with a lid, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 30 minutes until the lentils are cooked (check cooking time on your packet). Check from time to time and add more hot stock if necessary. Depending on the lentils, you may need more or less cooking time and more or less stock.
3. Near the end of cooking time, place a large pot of salted water on the heat, bring to the boil and cook the tagliatelle until ‘al dente’. Drain the pasta and mix well with the lentil ragu over a medium to high heat, adding a little of pasta water if necessary. Remove from the heat and serve immediately with a sprinkling of grated Parmigiano Reggiano PDO.
GNOCCHI DI PARMIGIANO REGGIANO Parmesan Gnocchi with 24-month aged Parmigiano Reggiano PDO
Gennaro said: “If you like gnocchi, then you will love this soft pillowy variety made with grated Parmigiano Reggiano PDO. Simply made with flour, water, cheese and egg yolks, they are a delight. They are so soft, you have to be careful when handling them once cooked, so the best way of combining with the sauce is to have a layer of gnocchi topped with a little sauce and so on and avoid mixing with a spoon.”
Serves: 4-6 people
Ingredients:
450ml water
30g butter
A pinch of salt
300g 00 flour
3 egg yolks
160g grated Parmigiano Reggiano PDO & extra for serving For the tomato sauce:
2tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
Salt, to taste
A few basil leaves, roughly torn
Method:
1. Place water, butter and salt in a medium-sized non-stick saucepan, bring to the boil, then gradually mix in the flour using a wooden spoon. Lower the heat and keep mixing and beating until the mixture come off the sides of the pan. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
2. Then add a little of the grated Parmigiano Reggiano PDO, an egg yolk and mix in well. Continue this way until you have added all yolks and cheese. When all well incorporated, place the mixture onto a work surface and gently work into a smooth dough. Leave to rest for 30 minutes.
3. In the meantime, make the sauce. Heat olive oil in a pan, add the garlic and sweat on a medium heat for a minute. Add the tomatoes with about ½ a can of water, a little salt to taste, basil leaves and cook on a medium to low heat partially covered with a lid for about 25 minutes.
4. Cut the dough into small pieces, take each piece and roll out into a long thin sausage and cut out small gnocchi shapes about 2.5/3 cm in length. Using a grater or zester, press the gnocchi lightly against it to get the classic ‘gnocchi’ indentations or do this using a fork.
5. Place a large pot of salted water on the heat to boil, drop in the gnocchi and cook until they rise to the top, then scoop up with a slotted spoon and place onto a serving dish or individual bowls and top with some of the tomato sauce. Serve immediately with a sprinkling of grated Parmigiano Reggiano PDO.
PANZANELLA CON PARMIGIANO REGGIANO Panzanella salad with 12-18 month aged Parmigiano Reggiano PDO
Gennaro said: “This summery bread salad is delicious with fresh crunchy vegetables and the addition of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO adds a lovely tangy saltiness to the dish.
Fresella is dried-out double-baked bread which you can buy in Italian delis. Otherwise, you can make your own using up leftover rustic bread. Slice bread into thick chunks and place in the oven on a low temperature for about 20-30 minutes until dried out and crispy. To soften, simply dip in water for a few seconds.” Serves: 4 people
Ingredients :
3 slices of Fresella (or rustic bread sliced and baked on a low heat until dried out and crispy)
1 small red onion
Red wine vinegar
200g plum tomatoes, cut into chunks
1 celery stalk, sliced
¼ red pepper, sliced into strips
¼ yellow pepper, sliced into strips
½ cucumber, sliced
1 dessert spoon of caperberries (or capers)
12 green olives
5tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2tsp dried oregano
A handful basil leaves
50g Parmigiano Reggiano PDO shavings Salt to taste
Method:
1. Dip the fresella or baked bread in water for a few seconds, then remove and set aside.
2. Place the sliced onion in a small bowl and cover with red wine vinegar.
3. Meanwhile chop all the vegetables and place in a large bowl, break up the fresella or bread and add to the bowl. Drain the onions and add these along with basil leaves, capers and olives, sprinkle with salt and oregano, then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, mix well together and top with shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO.
4. Serve immediately.
