So, you’ve slowly whittled down a block of Parmigiano-Reggiano, showering it over bowls of pasta and salads, and now you’re left with the hard, dry outer rind. Don’t throw away this golden, letter-stamped nugget. Parmesan rinds, an often discarded scrap, are a chefs and savvy home cook’s best friend, lending a savory and nutty depth to broths, beans or soups. (And yes, you should be splurging for real deal Parm, easily identified by the pin-dot “Parmigiano-Reggiano” lettering on the rind.)
Just like the cheese itself, Parmesan rinds are loaded with rich, umami flavor. Unlocking the goodness trapped in these hard and chewy shells is easier than you think. Plus, it gets you more bang for your buck. Real Parmesan cheese isn’t cheap, and it’s typically sold by the pound. (You’re paying for the rind, too, so don’t waste it!) Here are our tips for making the most of your Parmesan rinds.
Let’s get this out of the way. Yes, Parmesan rinds are perfectly fine to eat. Unlike many other hard cheeses, Parmesan rinds don’t contain wax or other sealants. They’re formed naturally during the cheesemaking process. In fact, the rind is just dried cheese that slowly hardens on the exterior of the wheel as it ages in temperature- and humidity-controlled rooms. To meet the legal requirements set by the Italian government, Parmigiano-Reggiano must mature for at least 12 months. Most blocks that you find in stores in the US have been aged for 24 to 36 months, which gives them that characteristic nutty flavor and crystalline texture.
This is the easy part. Simply drop a Parmesan rind or two into a pot of simmering soup, Bolognese, tomato sauce, risotto, or beans. You can also make Parmesan broth, a satisfying vegetarian alternative to use in place of chicken or vegetable broth in recipes. You’ll need about one pound of rinds (roughly five or six pieces) to eight cups of water plus aromatics such as onion, garlic, and bay leaves. Once the rind is in the pot, your work is done. The gentle heat will slowly soften the rind, coaxing out all the earthy, salty, nutty, funky and slightly sweet notes we love about the cheese. Let it simmer for at least 30 minutes or up to a few hours. The rind will become malleable in the heat, but won’t completely disintegrate, so be sure to remove it from the pot before serving. For an added bonus, cut the softened cheesy bits into smaller morsels and stir them back into the pot to enjoy as tiny Parmesan rind dumplings. In addition to imparting delicious flavor, the rind will also help to thicken and add body, giving thin and brothy soups a silky consistency.
How to store Parmesan rinds
You can keep a stash of Parmesan rinds in a ziplock bag in your freezer for up to 1 year. The rinds can be used straight from the freezer, no need to thaw before dropping in a pot of simmering soup or tomato sauce.
This is the easy part. Simply drop a Parmesan rind or two into a pot of simmering soup, Bolognese, tomato sauce, risotto, or beans. You can also make Parmesan broth, a satisfying vegetarian alternative to use in place of chicken or vegetable broth in recipes.
Plop the rinds into your next tomato sauce, ragù, or soup and let it simmer. Remove whatever is left of the rind just before serving. It will add a salty flavor and thicken everything up.
Risotto: Add a rind halfway through cooking the rice and let it melt into the rice as you ladle in the liquid. It'll make your risotto even more luxurious. Soups & Stews: Minestrone, pasta e fa*giole, Italian wedding soup, chicken cacciatore…all of them will benefit from the little oomph a parmesan rind adds.
The most classic way to reuse parmesan rinds is to cut them into cubes and add them to soups, broths, and soups. With the heat, the cheese will start to soften and release its flavor, making the taste even more intense than if simply grated.
Parmesan rinds will last for a few months in a zipper-lock bag in the fridge, but my preference is to keep them in the freezer (in a zipper-lock freezer bag) where they will last practically indefinitely. Don't worry about thawing them before use, just toss them right into the pot!
For starters, when I get down to the rind of my wedge of Parm, I take the time to dip a paper towel in a mild white vinegar solution and give it a good wipe down on the exterior. It's been manhandled by this point, and I want it to be clean. Then I dry it well and stash it in a ziptop bag in the freezer.
While an Asiago rind made the soup taste unappealingly gamey, tasters agreed that rinds from both Pecorino Romano and Gruyère added a savory flavor comparable to that of the Parmesan rind. If you don't have a rind, any one of these cheeses is also an acceptable substitute.
Add these Parmesan rind crisps on your charcuterie spread or into snack mixes. Treat them as the croutons in salads or the crispy crown jewels on top of soups — they'll add an unexpected savory crunch every time.
Short answer: NO Did you know that you can eat every part of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese including its rind and what's more.. it has almost NO LACTOSE! 0.01gr of lactose /100g of parmigiano reggiano cheese. This IS GOLD - just like you are 🧀 #parmigianoreggiano #italiancooking #cheese #learnontiktok.
A little bit, especially from the boundary between the cheese and the rind, is fine, but once the cheese becomes tough and hard to grate, toss it and start a new wedge. You'll also notice a difference in how the cheese looks once it's grated.
You can keep a stash of Parmesan rinds in a ziplock bag in your freezer for up to 1 year. The rinds can be used straight from the freezer, no need to thaw before dropping in a pot of simmering soup or tomato sauce.
No need to worry - these tiny white specks are actually a good thing. They're most likely calcium lactate crystals, also known as “cheese crystals.” They are completely safe to eat, and usually signify that a cheese is flavorful and well-aged.
For a cheese to be classified as Parmigiano-Reggiano, it must come from particular regions of Italy and contain only certain approved ingredients. Parmigiano-Reggiano is also aged at least one year and up to three years.Parmesan, on the other hand, is not regulated, and may be aged as little as 10 months.
Add a few cheese rinds to a pot of boiling water, then toss in your pasta and salt. Cook until it's perfectly al dente, remove the rinds (we've got plans for them), and scoop out the pasta with a spider or slotted spoon.
Some people use a micro planer and grate the rind itself and use it like grated parmesan, but I save the rinds for other dishes. If you've been throwing away your rinds, you've been missing out on putting them to a delicious second use. Here are 10 ways to use the rinds: Throw them into tomato sauce when cooking.
First, a quick and easy way to thicken soup is to add cheese. While any cheese will work, you can also effortlessly upgrade your soup's flavor and thickness by adding a leftover frozen parmesan rind.
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