Cheese And Bolognese: The Perfect Melty Combination

When it comes to choosing the right cheese to pair with your bolognese, there are a few options to consider. Parmigiana Reggiano is often considered the best choice for grating over spaghetti, with its strong flavour and grainy texture. However, if you're looking for a more affordable option, Grana Padano is a similar cheese with a slightly milder taste. For those who prefer a sheep's milk cheese, Pecorino Romano is a popular alternative, though it has a sharper and saltier flavour so a little goes a long way. Mozzarella is also a suitable option, especially for cream-based sauces. Ultimately, the choice of cheese comes down to personal preference, but these options provide a range of flavours and textures to complement your bolognese.

Mozzarella and Parmesan

The Creamy Mozzarella Magic

Mozzarella cheese adds a creamy texture and mild flavour to your Bolognese. It melts beautifully, creating a smooth and rich sauce that perfectly complements the hearty meat sauce. When combined with other ingredients, mozzarella enhances the overall taste without overwhelming the dish. Its stretchy, gooey texture also makes it a favourite for those who love a cheesy, stringy bite.

Parmesan: The King of Italian Cheeses

Parmesan, or Parmigiano Reggiano, is a staple in Italian cuisine and for good reason. This hard, granular cheese packs a punch of flavour and is known for its sharp, nutty taste. Grated Parmesan adds a salty, savoury note to your Bolognese, bringing out the depth of the sauce. Its texture also adds a delightful, subtle crunch to your pasta.

Cooking with Mozzarella and Parmesan

When using mozzarella and Parmesan in your Bolognese, consider the following steps:

• Fry your onions, garlic, carrots, and celery in olive oil until softened.
• Add bacon, mushrooms, and beef, cooking until browned.
• Stir in ingredients like wine, tomato paste, water, and thyme to build a flavourful sauce.
• In a separate saucepan, create a creamy cheese sauce by heating milk, butter, and flour, whisking until thickened.
• Add diced mozzarella and grated Parmesan to the cheese sauce, stirring until melted and well combined.
• Mix your cooked pasta into the cheese sauce, ensuring each strand is coated in cheesy goodness.
• Assemble your dish by spooning the Bolognese sauce into a casserole dish, topping it with the cheesy pasta.
• Sprinkle additional Parmesan on top for an extra cheesy touch.
• Bake your Bolognese until golden and bubbly, creating a delicious, cheesy crust.
• Garnish with fresh basil and serve while hot, enjoying the perfect blend of mozzarella and Parmesan.

By following these steps and using mozzarella and Parmesan, you'll create a mouth-watering Bolognese that's sure to impress. The combination of these cheeses adds depth, texture, and flavour to the dish, making it a true standout on your dinner table.

Grana Padano

The cheese is cooked and ripened slowly for at least nine months. If it passes quality tests, it is fire-branded with the Grana Padano trademark. The cows are milked twice a day, and the milk produced in the evening is skimmed to remove the surface layer of cream and mixed with fresh milk produced in the morning. The partly skimmed milk is then transferred into copper kettles and coagulated. The resulting curd is cut to produce granules the size of rice grains, which gives the cheese its characteristic texture, and then warmed to 53–56 °C (127–133 °F).

Parmigiana Reggiano

When serving bolognese, you can sprinkle Parmigiana Reggiano over each bowl. You can also cook the pasta with the sauce and a little pasta water for the last few minutes. This makes a huge difference and is much better than just plonking sauce on top of noodles.

Pecorino Romano

When grated over a plate of spaghetti bolognese, Pecorino Romano adds a salty kick to the dish. It is also used in pesto and pairs well with sun-dried tomatoes.

When serving spaghetti bolognese with Pecorino Romano, it is recommended to mix the pasta and sauce before serving to ensure a better coating of the noodles.

Cheddar

One recipe suggests boiling spaghetti for four minutes, before draining and adding corned beef bolognese sauce and grated cheddar cheese. The sauce is made by chopping garlic and frying it in a hot griddle, then adding the corned beef and bolognese sauce and mixing well. The cheddar is then stirred in until evenly mixed, before being poured over the spaghetti and garnished with more grated cheddar and chilli sauce.

Another recipe recommends frying onion, garlic, carrot and celery in olive oil, before adding bacon, mushrooms and beef. Red wine, tomato paste, water, tomatoes and thyme are then added and brought to a boil, before being covered and simmered for 30 minutes. The pasta is cooked separately and a cheese sauce is made by heating milk, butter and flour in a saucepan, before whisking until thickened. Grated mozzarella and parmesan are then stirred in and seasoned. The pasta is then drained and stirred into the cheese sauce, before being topped with the bolognese sauce and sprinkled with parmesan. The dish is then baked in the oven for 25 minutes, or until golden.

Frequently asked questions