Tell the truth, were you waiting for the Parmesan sauce recipe, right? 😃
Oh yes yes, you’re right, you already know this Parmesan sauce, because it is the same one that is already present here on the blog as a side sauce for crispy cappelletti.
Today I’m talking about it again because it’s a recipe that deserves a place as a standalone recipe, being a sauce suitable for various uses, and so I can’t relegate it to just a side role for a single recipe.
Moreover, now I can add it alongside the other sauces in the Sauces, Gravies, and Dressings section of my basic recipes collection, because it’s a sauce truly suitable for accompanying many recipes, from appetizers to…
…oh no no, not with desserts! haha! 😄
But for appetizers, main courses, and side dishes definitely yes! 😉
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If you’re looking for ideas for other sauces, I have several to suggest, starting with those I use for bourguignonne. Check out these recipes! 😉👇
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 1
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
For a minimum portion (one small bowl).
- 3/8 cup milk
- 2 tsp butter (or oil)
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan (or other hard grating cheese)
Tools
- Saucepan stainless steel
- Spoon
Procedure
The procedure is very simple: just prepare a classic béchamel sauce to which you add grated parmesan, (or another preferred grating cheese).
The quantities I have indicated in the ingredient list are for one bowl, or a couple of small appetizer bowls.
First prepare the béchamel:
Melt the butter in a small pot (or use oil) and add the flour.
Cook on low heat, stirring with the spoon.
When the roux turns amber, start pouring in the milk (already warm or at room temperature, not cold).
Pour the milk gradually, mix well before adding more milk.
Cook, stirring constantly, until the béchamel thickens.
When the béchamel is ready, add the grated parmesan, stir, and the Parmesan sauce is ready.
You can flavor it with a dash of nutmeg or a pinch of pepper, or you can serve it plain.
Very simple, isn’t it?
How to use Parmesan sauce:
As mentioned, I used this Parmesan sauce as a side for crispy cappelletti, but it’s great for accompanying many different appetizers, like polenta balls, or vegetable balls. It can also be used as a pasta dressing, or to enrich a meat second course, such as stuffed turkey roast. 😊
Tips without salt
As you know, this blog of mine is dedicated to low-sodium cooking. I usually add in this note at the end of recipes a salt-free tip to enhance flavor without salt.
Since it’s the Less Salt More Health week, i.e., the World Salt Awareness Week, and since this recipe does not include additional salt – meaning that salt is not really expected in this recipe – I want to take the opportunity to do a little deep dive on the topic.
The reason why this is a recipe that does not require added salt is that it is a naturally tasty recipe due to the presence of parmesan (which is usually half the weight of the milk in the various recipes I consulted). Because all cheeses, especially aged cheeses, contain salt, when preparing this recipe of mine I tried to minimize the amount of parmesan to minimize the salt content compared to more commonly spread parmesan sauces. While seeking a good compromise in taste.
By checking the labels, I verified that the amount of salt contained varies in different types of parmesan, grana, or other hard grating cheeses.
(Clarification: as you know, there are consortia for the protection of Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano that, indeed, protect the brands and the PDO denomination, but there are also hard cheeses – obviously excluding any fraudulent imitation – that do not fall into the protected category but are still excellent Italian products.)
I consulted the nutritional values of some cheese chunks I bought and the salt content per 100 g of product varies as follows:
– 24, 30, and 40-month aged parmesan all report the same amount of salt on the labels: 1.6 g
– Grana (over 16 months): salt 1.5 g
– Hard cheese of another brand (aged 9 or 10 months, or aging not indicated on the label): salt 1.5 / 1.4 g.
In addition to this note about salt in cheeses, I want to specify that parmesan, Grana Padano, and other hard cheeses, contain less salt than other cheeses. Also, for the same type of cheese but from a different brand, I found different values (so: always keep an eye on labels).
For example (salt per 100 g of cheese):
– Fontal: 1.4 g (or another brand: 2.1 g)
– Gouda: 1.7 g (or another brand: 2.0 g)
– Gorgonzola (both sweet and spicy): 1.8 g
– Spicy provolone: 2.2 g
– I also add to this list the Pecorino Romano, which contains the highest salt content among all those I consulted, a whopping 5.5 g (and is indeed considered unsuitable for the hypertensive diet).
This is a very small list for now, but I hope with this information to have been of help to you.
Enjoy!
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