Italian Cheese Guide: Types, Uses and How to Choose

A quick way to choose

Start with the job you need the cheese to do. A cheese that grates well may not be the one you want for a creamy melt.

• For cacio e pepe, amatriciana or a sharp finish on red sauce, use Pecorino Romano.
• For risotto, soup, pesto or eating in pieces, use Parmigiano Reggiano.
• For a milder everyday grating cheese, use Grana Padano.
• For pizza, use low-moisture mozzarella when you want good stretch without excess water.
• For sandwiches, baked pasta or a smooth cheese sauce, try Fontal or Provolone.
• For salads and Pasta alla Norma, crumble or grate Ricotta Salata.
• For blue cheese sauce or a cheese board, choose Gorgonzola Dolce for a softer taste or Piccante for more bite.

Fresh and creamy Italian cheeses

Mozzarella

Fresh mozzarella is soft, moist and mild. It is meant for Caprese salad, antipasto and dishes where its milky flavor matters. Low-moisture mozzarella is firmer and drier, so it melts with less water on pizza and baked pasta.

Burrata

Burrata has an outer shell of mozzarella and a soft center of stracciatella and cream. Put it on a plate with tomatoes, roasted peppers or prosciutto and cut it just before serving. Its loose center is the reason people buy it, so there is little reason to cook it like ordinary mozzarella.

Fresh ricotta

Fresh ricotta is moist, mild and lightly sweet. It is used in lasagna, stuffed shells, ravioli, cannoli and ricotta pie. It is very different from Ricotta Salata, which is salted, pressed and aged until it becomes firm enough to crumble or grate.

Mascarpone

Mascarpone is made from cream and has a rich, spreadable texture. Tiramisu is its best-known use, but it can also be stirred into pasta sauce or served with fruit. It is richer and smoother than ricotta and should not be treated as the same ingredient.

Italian cheeses that melt well

Fontal and Fontina

The names are similar, but Fontal and Fontina are not identical. Fontina DOP comes from Italy's Aosta Valley and has a more earthy flavor. Fontal is usually milder, with a creamy texture that works well in sauces, sandwiches, eggs and baked pasta. Our Italian Fontal is a useful choice when a recipe needs a smooth, even melt.

Provolone

Provolone changes considerably as it ages. A young Provolone Dolce is mild and easy to melt. Provolone Piccante is aged longer and tastes sharper. We carry imported sharp Provolone, as well as Auricchio Provolone Piccante for customers who want a stronger piece.

Caciocavallo and Ragusano

These southern Italian cheeses belong to the pasta filata, or stretched-curd, family. Younger pieces melt well; longer aging makes them firmer and sharper. Caciocavallo is good in baked dishes or sliced at the table. Ragusano, from Sicily, has a dense texture and becomes more assertive as it ages.

Taleggio

Taleggio is a soft washed-rind cheese from northern Italy. Its aroma can be stronger than its flavor. Inside, the cheese is buttery and savory, and it melts easily into polenta, risotto, pasta or a toasted sandwich.

Hard Italian grating cheeses

Parmigiano Reggiano

Parmigiano Reggiano is a cow's milk cheese made under DOP rules in a specific part of northern Italy. It must be aged at least 12 months. As it ages, the cheese becomes drier and more crumbly, and the flavor grows nuttier. Frank and Sal's 24-month Parmigiano Reggiano is cut from the wheel when the order is prepared.

Use it in risotto, pesto, soup and baked pasta, or break it into pieces for the table. The small crunchy spots in a mature piece are normal crystals formed during aging.

Grana Padano

Grana Padano is another northern Italian cow's milk grating cheese. It is generally milder than Parmigiano Reggiano, especially at younger ages. Grate it over pasta, vegetables and soup when you want a gentler finish.

Pecorino Romano

Pecorino Romano is made from sheep's milk. It is sharper and saltier than Parmigiano Reggiano, which is why it holds up to black pepper, tomato and cured pork. It is the traditional cheese for cacio e pepe and is commonly used in carbonara, amatriciana and pasta alla gricia.

Frank and Sal sells Pecorino Romano DOP and Locatelli Pecorino Romano. Locatelli is a brand of Pecorino Romano, not another type of cheese.

Blue and aged finishing cheeses

Gorgonzola

Gorgonzola is an Italian cow's milk blue cheese. Dolce is soft, creamy and milder. Piccante is firmer, more crumbly and stronger. Use Dolce in a smooth sauce or spread it on bread. Use Gorgonzola Piccante when you want the blue flavor to remain noticeable in pasta, on steak or on a cheese board.

Asiago

Young Asiago is soft enough to slice and melt. With age it becomes firmer and better for grating. The Asiago Stagionato DOP we carry is the aged style, with a drier texture and a more pronounced taste than fresh Asiago.

Ricotta Salata

Ricotta Salata is pressed, salted and aged. It stays firm and does not melt like fresh ricotta. Crumble it over salads and vegetables or grate it over Pasta alla Norma.

How to store Italian cheese

Storage depends on the amount of moisture in the cheese. Follow the date and instructions on the package first.

Hard cheese

Keep an unopened vacuum-sealed piece in its package in the refrigerator. After opening it, wrap the cut surface well and place the cheese in a covered container or the cheese drawer. Grate only what you need and use a clean, dry utensil.

Fresh cheese

Keep mozzarella or burrata cold and in its original package or liquid. Once opened, fresh cheese should be used promptly according to the package directions. Its higher moisture makes it much more perishable than Parmigiano or Pecorino.

Soft and blue cheese

Wrap Gorgonzola, Taleggio and other soft cheeses separately so their aroma does not transfer to milder cheese. A covered container also keeps them from drying out.

Can Italian cheese be frozen?

Hard cheese can be frozen if you plan to cook with it, although the texture may become more crumbly. Fresh mozzarella, burrata and other high-moisture cheeses usually lose too much texture in the freezer to be served as they were intended.

Questions customers ask about Italian cheese

What is the difference between Parmesan and Parmigiano Reggiano?

Parmigiano Reggiano is a protected Italian cheese made in its designated production area under DOP rules. In the United States, Parmesan can be used as a general name for cheeses made outside that system. Look for Parmigiano Reggiano written in dots on the rind when you want the protected Italian cheese.

What is the difference between Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano?

Parmigiano Reggiano is made from cow's milk and has a nuttier, less salty taste. Pecorino Romano is made from sheep's milk and is sharper and saltier. Both grate well, but they do not make a dish taste the same.

What Italian cheese is best for pasta?

For Roman pasta dishes, use Pecorino Romano. Parmigiano Reggiano works well with risotto, pesto and many northern Italian dishes. Grana Padano is a good option when you want something milder. Ricotta Salata is used as a finishing cheese in Sicilian dishes such as Pasta alla Norma.

Which Italian cheeses melt well?

Low-moisture mozzarella, Fontal, Fontina, young Provolone, Taleggio and young Caciocavallo all melt well. Aged grating cheeses can melt into sauces, but they need lower heat and moisture to keep them from clumping.

Can you eat an Italian cheese rind?

It depends on the rind. Remove wax, paper, foil and other coatings. Natural hard rinds from Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino can be simmered in soup, beans or sauce and removed before serving. Check the package before eating the rind of a soft or washed-rind cheese.

How much cheese should I buy?

For grating, buy according to how often you cook and how quickly you will use it. For a cheese board, plan more if cheese is the main food and less if you are also serving cured meat, olives, bread and other dishes. A larger hard-cheese wedge usually stores better than several small pieces.