I use a lot of parmesan cheese. I buy good quality cheese that I grate myself, and I grate it right down to the rind. 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. They’ll impart some flavor. Pull them out and discard when the sauce is done cooking.
- Place them in a jar, pour olive oil over them (perhaps add some garlic cloves, too – but if you add garlic, make sure to keep the oil refrigerated) and make parmesan-infused olive oil. Great for dipping bread into.
- Throw them into bean soups or minestrone. Discard the rinds before serving.
- Throw them into the pot when you’re making stock.
- Add to stew. Remove rinds before serving.
- Use them to flavor steamed artichokes. Add some chicken broth, onion and lemon juice and a cheese rind or two, and it’s a delicious broth!
- Put a rind in the pot when you’re cooking risotto or other rice. Remove the rind before serving.
- Make a parmesan broth for cheese-filled pastas like ravioli. You can try the Bitchincamero’s recipe for ricotta & pea ravioli in parmesan broth or just use the recipe for inspiration for your own pasta in Parmesan broth.
- Try The Novice Chef’s Panera-inspired recipe for tomato, cheese and bread Soup.
- If the rind is pure cheese (with no waxy coating), you can grill the rind until it becomes soft and chewy, put it on a piece of crusty bread, and eat.
