The FILLED PARMESAN CONES are a tasty and tempting appetizer, perfect to include in your holiday buffet or in any aperitivo with friends. Easy to serve, they are ideal as finger food.
This dish is prepared in a short time and with little effort: a few ingredients give a result that is not only good but also pleasing to the eye. The crunchy Parmesan shell pairs wonderfully with the very soft cream of ricotta and cooked ham, and the pistachio crumbs perfectly complete the taste.
SEE OTHER IDEAS FOR YOUR APERITIFS:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Rest time: 20 Minutes
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 10 cones
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2 cups Parmesan (grated)
- 1 slice cooked ham (in one whole slice)
- 3/4 cup whole-milk ricotta (well drained)
- to taste salt
- to taste pistachio crumbs
Tools
- 10 Molds cone-shaped
- 1 Skillet
- 1 Food processor
- 1 Piping bag
- 1 Spatula
Steps
To prepare the FILLED PARMESAN CONES first heat a heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet on the stovetop and place in the center a smooth round cutter with a diameter of about 2.4–2.8 in (approximately 2 3/8–2 3/4 inches).
Pour a heaping tablespoon of grated Parmesan and, using the concave side of the spoon, spread it evenly.
Remove the cutter, level the cheese again to a thickness of about 1/16–1/8 inch and let the bottom turn golden.
As soon as you see the crisp start to lift from the skillet, use a small spatula to gently flip it and cook the other side for a few seconds.
Lift it and, before it cools and becomes harder to shape, fit it around a steel cone mold and as soon as it has cooled, unmold it.
Once all your cones are ready, prepare the filling.
In a food processor, blend the diced cooked ham with the ricotta and a pinch of salt.
When you have a smooth cream, transfer it to the refrigerator for 20 minutes. This will help the mixture firm up properly, but if you’re short on time you can skip this step.
Transfer the mixture into a piping bag and fill the Parmesan cones only at the last minute; otherwise they will absorb moisture from the filling and lose their crunch, becoming soft and unpleasant.
Roll the Parmesan cones in the pistachio crumbs and serve.
