A golden rule of Italian cooking? Never discard your Parmigiano cheese rinds. Or any scrap for that matter. Much Italian food is based on the cibo povero/waste-free philosophy because, in the old days, no one discarded anything, maximizing the potential of every last crumb. Parmigiano cheese rinds, for instance, were grated to the bone and incorporated into soups.
At Ca' Matilde, a one-star Michelin-rated restaurant in Rubbianino di Quattro Castella, a few miles from Reggio Emilia in Emilia-Romagna, chef Andrea Incerti Vezzani makes a ragù from Parmigiano cheese rinds. He then adds it to a Carnaroli rice pie lined with prosciutto and enrichened with cheese. But you can also serve it with pasta – in our opinion, egg pasta works better. Here's the recipe so you can give it a try.
Chef Andrea Incerti Vezzani
Parmigiano Cheese Rind Ragù
Serves 6
Ingredients:
7 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano rinds
1 small or ½ large onion, chopped
2 medium-sized carrots, chopped
1 large celery stalk, chopped
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
tomato purée
basil
Method:
Place the Parmigiano cheese rinds in a saucepan with a little bit of water – just enough to cover them. Bring to a boil, then let the Parmigiano rinds cook until they become tender. Drain, but don't discard the cooking water. Set aside the cooking water, and then use a mixer to coarsely chop the cheese rinds.
Prepare the ragù by sautéing chopped celery, carrots, and onion with a little oil and butter. Once the vegetables are cooked and translucent, add the coarsely chopped Parmigiano cheese rinds to the pan. Mix for a couple of minutes, then, lastly, add the tomato purée and basil. Let everything cook for around 30 minutes. Keep an eye on the sauce – if it starts sticking, add the cooking water from the rinds little by little.
When finished, add to your favorite pasta – we suggest an egg-based long pasta like tagliatelle – and serve.
