Real Parmigiano Reggiano is the king of cheeses, and Italians know to not waste any part of it—including the rind. Once you’re done grating it over pasta or picking every last crumb of it off a cheese board, you might think your Parmesan enjoyment is at its end…but don’t you even think about chucking that rind into the trash! In the Zani household, that engraved dotted rind is treated like gold, and you’ll almost always find a few tucked away in my freezer. Here are my favorite ways to use them:
Tomato Sauce
First up is one of the best tricks for amplifying the flavor of your Italian red sauces. Everything from marinara to bolognese can be improved with a salty, aged, umami-packed Parmigiano cheese rind. It’s best to add the rind in the beginning stages of cooking, because the longer it’s in the sauce the more flavor will be infused. Plus, you’ll be left with a gooey cheese rind that you can scoop into your bowl of pasta. What’s not to love about that!?
Parmigiano Rind Crisps
If you’re a big fan of crunchy, salty fried cheese (AKA frico), you’re going to love these puffy cheese crisps. They’re the best thing to make when your rind is completely stripped of cheese. In fact, there should really be no more than ⅛” to ¼” cheese left on the rind, or these will turn out too tough to bite into. Here’s how to make these: Spread multiple 1- to 2-inch square pieces of rind on a large plate, and microwave them (yes, so easy!) for 1 to 2 minutes, or until they’re bubbly and puffed up. Let them cool, and you’ll have deliciously crunchy cheese crackers. Bonus idea: toss those square pieces of rind into tomato sauce, then before they melt too completely, pull them out and microwave them. Let them cool and you’ll have crispy crackers that taste like pizza.
Parmigiano Broth
Finally, one of my favorite ways to use Parmigiano rinds is in broth making. You can use it in making a homemade broth, OR to improve your favorite store-bought brand. Broth is typically delicate in flavor so adding Parmigiano cheese gives it a little extra oomph and complexity. Allow the broth to simmer and reduce a bit with the rind in it before using it in a recipe (see some soup options below, but anywhere you’d use regular broth will benefit from cheese-infused broth).
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