What kind of cheese do you like to put on your pasta ?

What kind of cheese do you like to put on your pasta ?


  • Total voters
    41
With tomato sauce: parmasean, mozzarella, and ricotta!
Without: Any combination of melted cheddar, mozzarella, or pepper jack, as well as grated parmasean!

There was a macaroni and cheese area where I used to work, you can put anything on your macaroni and cheese, it was the best!

This shouldn't be much of a surprise to most members here who know I'm a human mouse
 
Primarily mac and cheese with cheddar.
Mozzarella is my favorite cheese, and I make Chicken Parmesan and baked ziti, often.
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I love all kinds of cheese. My favorites are aged goat's cheese from the French Pyrenees and a sheep's cheese called Serra, from Serra da Estrela in central Portugal. My least favorite cheese is feta. I only like it in salads.

As you say, it depends on the dish. With a putanesca, if I put any cheese I'd put grated pecorino. If it's a meat sauce, I'd put grated parmigiano.

I think Americans have gotten it into their heads that they should put parmigiano on everything. That's not how it is in Italy.

We use a lot of our own grated pecorino toscano where I come from ( although my Emilian grandmother only used parmigiano, for obvious reasons), especially for fillings for vegetables and pasta: it gives a nice piquant note to the finished product.

One of my favorite pasta dishes ever is the Roman cacio e pepe, which is basically just grated pecorino romano and pepper. Yum, yum. :) (Don't put too much salt in the pasta water, because the pecorino is very salty.)


watch


This Italian chef uses a different technique and adds a few spoonfuls of parmigiano for sweetness (to cut the too strong saltiness of some pecorino) and some grated lemon rind. Not traditional, and not the way I like it, but an option.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilkkoHIu17A&list=PL0QucbQ_TDWXBGmU7Iap8n4jRUavbzPAM

I also usually put grated pecorino on most southern Italian sauces.
 
None really but if it's a true formaggio I will take it and eat it. Not mac and cheese pls or any american cheese (there cheese sucks)
 
There are so many great cheeses, French and Spanish as well as Italian. I love manchego, for example. I can sometimes also get Mahon. A lot of Spanish cheeses are not available, however.

The French ones are wonderful too and much more available. This is just a small number of them:

466703351_9cb6c80d7c.jpg


This is just a small selection of Italian cheeses:
f31c40e19235339c14f1d35b7a9327bc.jpg

List_of_French_cheeses


Why would anyone eat "American" cheese? It's not even real cheese. For grilled cheese sandwiches I use mozzarella or a mild Cheddar, or muenster.

My absolute favorite is the Neapolitan "Mozzarella in carozza". If you haven't tried it you should; you may never go back to regular grilled cheese sandwiches. :)

This is the way I was taught to do it by my husband's Neapolitan grandmother. I think it's about as traditional as you can get. I've only made a few changes. I hate pancarre or "American" bread, so I use thinly sliced ciabatta bread or even Tuscan bread and just cut off the crusts. I also don't deep fry it. It uses up so much oil and makes a mess. Also, instead of putting one anchovy fillet, I just put a little smear of anchovy paste. Americans are too afraid of anchovies. If you put a little bit people won't even know it's there, they'll just know it's delicious! :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1THEd1GcGs
 
As you say, it depends on the dish. With a putanesca, if I put any cheese I'd put grated pecorino. If it's a meat sauce, I'd put grated parmigiano.

I think Americans have gotten it into their heads that they should put parmigiano on everything. That's not how it is in Italy.

That's true, I wouldn't put it on for example pasta with clams, or mussels, or mushrooms, or broccoli. For pasta with broccoli, or broccoli rabe, I'll put some lemon and a little bit of salt.

Usually my mother or father will make pasta with meat sauce; a mix of braciole, veal, lamb, etc. in tomato sauce. My mother admits that my dad's towns' version of it is better than her's; and learned it from his mother.
 
Parmesana or Gran Pardano.

But i think Pecorino is also a good one.

I like also alot the Spanish Manchego or some local Greek cheeses like Graviera or Kefalotyri or Dry Myzithra
but Non Greeks probably don't know these Greek cheeses though they are very good.


In general the chesse has to be rather dry/hard and tasty i woud say
 
That's true, I wouldn't put it on for example pasta with clams, or mussels, or mushrooms, or broccoli. For pasta with broccoli, or broccoli rabe, I'll put some lemon and a little bit of salt.

Usually my mother or father will make pasta with meat sauce; a mix of braciole, veal, lamb, etc. in tomato sauce. My mother admits that my dad's towns' version of it is better than her's; and learned it from his mother.


Yes, I think a lot of Italians call it "gravy". Nonna Anna, my husband's grandmother, made it, and it was delicious. I would make it more often but for whatever reason my husband never liked it that much.

I basically do this, as far as technique is concerned, except for the fact that I add tomato paste to the sauteed onions before adding the meat, and Nonna used just beef, sausage, and maybe spareribs, no ground beef, and once the sauce was almost done, would add fried meatballs that she had made separately. In the old, poorer days I think they used really cheap cuts of meat, like neck and shoulder bones. If I see them in the market I still throw them in: the tastiest meat is near the bone. I sometimes substitute beef short ribs for the chuck too, and put in some veal chunks. I'm trying to approximate the taste of manzo by combining the beef and veal.

This girl gives me hope for young Italian women: she's really good. :)

 
Yes, I think a lot of Italians call it "gravy". Nonna Anna, my husband's grandmother, made it, and it was delicious. I would make it more often but for whatever reason my husband never liked it that much.

I basically do this, as far as technique is concerned, except for the fact that I add tomato paste to the sauteed onions before adding the meat, and Nonna used just beef, sausage, and maybe spareribs, no ground beef, and once the sauce was almost done, would add fried meatballs that she had made separately. In the old, poorer days I think they used really cheap cuts of meat, like neck and shoulder bones. If I see them in the market I still throw them in: the tastiest meat is near the bone. I sometimes substitute beef short ribs for the chuck too, and put in some veal chunks. I'm trying to approximate the taste of manzo by combining the beef and veal.

This girl gives me hope for young Italian women: she's really good. :)


We call it that too, or ragu. I want to learn how to make it myself, as well.
 
makaronia fits with every cheese due to salt,

just straight makaronia, with no sauce

I think the best cheese is ladotyria Λαδοτυρια
hard cheese stored olive oil with herbs
a fantastic cheese for makaronia

secondary is the Kefalograviera a Hybrid of Kefali (pressed) and graviera (gruyere) made in N Greece, Thessaly and Makedonia

Graviera (gruyere) which is mostly produced in S Greece
IT IS NOT GRUYERE, only the name due to the method of production

Kefali kefalotyri is typical all Greece but mainly in North
it is very old and the older the harder and best for makaroni
and the younger the smoother best for barbeque
There are 2 kinds
the one from pasterized milk
the one from unpasterized milk which is rare and fantastic
but you want find it in cheese industry
All women in my family know to produce such cheese,
and sometimes i make my shelf, as hobby
easy to make the first act,
difficult to make it 'mature'
I Like 6 months old

the old non pasteurised method of kefali
is comparable/simmilar to Parmigianno-Reggiano method
instead of metallic 'mixer' spinner, used wooden knifes
and sheep's milk instead of cow's
making a fantastic result which sometimes blend with herbs or smoke
industry and health laws slowly removed it from production
and today is made exclusively with pasteurized milk
and mostly by adding calcium chemicals
instead of the old 'acid (bacillus reserve) water'
 
makaronia fits with every cheese due to salt,

just straight makaronia, with no sauce

I think the best cheese is ladotyria Λαδοτυρια
hard cheese stored olive oil with herbs
a fantastic cheese for makaronia

secondary is the Kefalograviera a Hybrid of Kefali (pressed) and graviera (gruyere) made in N Greece, Thessaly and Makedonia

Graviera (gruyere) which is mostly produced in S Greece

Kefali kefalotyri is typical all Greece but mainly in North
it is very old and the older the harder and best for makaroni
and the younger the smoother best for barbeque
it is comparable simmilar to Parmigiano-Reggiano
All women in my family know to produce such cheese,
and sometimes i make my shelf, as hobby
easy to make the first act,
difficult to make it 'mature'
I Like 6 months old

Fair enough but Graviera is not only made in North Greece
but also in Crete and Islands.

Also it is a distinct Greek type of cheese and different in taste from Gruyere.
 
Fair enough but Graviera is not only made in North Greece
but also in Crete and Islands.

Also it is a distinct Greek type of cheese and different in taste from Gruyere.

read what I wrote

graviera is a ΠΟΠ of Agrafa Crete and Aegean islands

i write S Greece
 
There are so many great cheeses, French and Spanish as well as Italian. I love manchego, for example. I can sometimes also get Mahon. A lot of Spanish cheeses are not available, however.

The French ones are wonderful too and much more available. This is just a small number of them:

List_of_French_cheeses


Why would anyone eat "American" cheese? It's not even real cheese. For grilled cheese sandwiches I use mozzarella or a mild Cheddar, or muenster.

My absolute favorite is the Neapolitan "Mozzarella in carozza". If you haven't tried it you should; you may never go back to regular grilled cheese sandwiches. :)

This is the way I was taught to do it by my husband's Neapolitan grandmother. I think it's about as traditional as you can get. I've only made a few changes. I hate pancarre or "American" bread, so I use thinly sliced ciabatta bread or even Tuscan bread and just cut off the crusts. I also don't deep fry it. It uses up so much oil and makes a mess. Also, instead of putting one anchovy fillet, I just put a little smear of anchovy paste. Americans are too afraid of anchovies. If you put a little bit people won't even know it's there, they'll just know it's delicious! :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1THEd1GcGs

Ohh now that looks so yummy I wish I lived near a Neapolitan restaurant I really give it a try. Spanish cheese is ok but not the best (but Manchego is great with jamon and local bread) . French cheese can be smelly but works really well with bread or a salad. Anchovies can work if don't add too much taste to it. In Malta Mozzarella is common!

Why would anyone eat "American" cheese? It's not even real cheese. For grilled cheese sandwiches I use mozzarella or a mild Cheddar, or muenster.

Now that's a great quote. British cheese such as Blue cheese, Cheddar and Stilton cheese works well with bread but sadly not pasta.
 
AdeoF, you should try cheddar on pasta, that's classic Mac n cheese right there
 
AdeoF, you should try cheddar on pasta, that's classic Mac n cheese right there

Hmm if it's grated and melted into the pasta with some tomato sauce then it can maybe work but maybe not. to be honest i like spaghetti bolognese. The beef works well with spaghetti and mixes well with cheddar.
 
Yes, I think a lot of Italians call it "gravy". Nonna Anna, my husband's grandmother, made it, and it was delicious. I would make it more often but for whatever reason my husband never liked it that much.

I basically do this, as far as technique is concerned, except for the fact that I add tomato paste to the sauteed onions before adding the meat, and Nonna used just beef, sausage, and maybe spareribs, no ground beef, and once the sauce was almost done, would add fried meatballs that she had made separately. In the old, poorer days I think they used really cheap cuts of meat, like neck and shoulder bones. If I see them in the market I still throw them in: the tastiest meat is near the bone. I sometimes substitute beef short ribs for the chuck too, and put in some veal chunks. I'm trying to approximate the taste of manzo by combining the beef and veal.

This girl gives me hope for young Italian women: she's really good. :)


Here's what we had this afternoon:

yiIAUBul.jpg


XHMtZNPl.jpg


And a little something for afterwards, which was really quite good :)

uhfmHFtl.jpg
 
Nothing wrong with that lunch jovialis!

And in response to Angela's post, i just looked up American cheese, and I always felt it was the kraft version that was fake but apparently American cheese is classified as "processed" cheese...

Its not the best cheese, too salty and I read horror stories of "pizzerias" putting American cheese on pizza.....I swear I'll be sick after seeing that.

Worse, there are places that use kectchup and American cheese in place of tomato sauce and mozzarella..
 
Also, I think ricotta needs to be among the choices :)! I swear, give me a spoon and a big bowl of that stuff, and I'll be in heaven !!
 
Here's what we had this afternoon:

yiIAUBul.jpg


XHMtZNPl.jpg


And a little something for afterwards, which was really quite good :)

uhfmHFtl.jpg

Now that's what I call a great looking lunch!

It's too funny...I think I have the same cabinets. It even looks like you have a dark green granite counter top!

If the cook permits it, I'd love the recipe. :)

If you're still drinking amaro you're not far from your roots. :)

@Davef,

I love ricotta too, especially from our local cheese maker so it's nice and creamy. I like it mixed with tomato sauce in a pasta dish, but I absolutely also adore it mixed with a littlehoney or sugar and lots of fresh, sweet fruit in the summer.

Fresh-Fruit-with-Ricotta-Fresh-Mint-and-Honey-72DPI.jpg
 

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