Parmesan

Prick the base here and there with a fork then sprinkle ith th Parmesan cheese.

Add a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce, then add half the grated Parmesan. 4.

Place the ricotta in a bowl, add the Parmesan, egg, nutmeg and spinach, season with salt and pepper and mix well.

So he did what any self-respecting Italian would do, and banned the customer from adding the Parmesan to his crab ravioli with cream salmon sauce.

PLATING UP Stir thoroughly divide into four bowls and garnish with grated Parmesan and fresh basil.

1 roasted red pepper (from a jar, or roast one yourself) 30ml olive oil 50g walnuts, toasted, plus extra to serve 1 small garlic clove 100g linguine or spaghetti parmesan or vegetarian alternative, grated, to serve

Add the onion halves, Parmesan rind and thyme to the pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat; keep at a boil for 10 minutes.

When cooked, stir in butter and parmesan. Keep warm.

4 tbsp finely grated Parmesan (or vegetarian substitute)

400g/ leeks, trimmed and cut into 1/4 in, 85g arborio rice, 2 eggs, 100ml extra virgin olive oil, 4 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan, Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, 3 tbsp dried breadcrumbs Method: 1 Wash leeks thoroughly, removing any earth, drain and put in a bowl.

It offers a flavorful combination of truffle oil, parmesan cheese, portobello and oyster mushrooms.

How readily available is Parmesan cheese in this region?

Parmesan is a straw-coloured hard cheese with a natural yellow rind and rich, fruity flavour.

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4) 200g Italian '00' flour; 2 medium eggs, 1 beaten; 250g fresh spinach; salt and freshly ground black pepper; 150g fresh ricotta cheese; 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg; 25g Parmesan, freshly gated; 75g unsalted butter; 3-4 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped; 50g Parmesan, fresh grated METHOD 1.

INGREDIENTS For the Parmesan straws (makes 18): 200g/7oz ready-made, all-butter puff pastry 1 medium free-range egg 2tbsp finely chopped chives 3tbsp finely grated Parmesan 1tsp white sesame seeds 1tsp black sesame seeds A pinch of paprika For the soup: 800g/13/4lb asparagus (about 50 spears) 2 medium onions 1 small leek 2tbsp olive oil 750ml/26floz chicken stock 150ml/5floz creme fraiche 1tbsp finely chopped chives Salt & freshly ground black pepper For the garnish: The asparagus tips from the 800g asparagus 6 small new potatoes 30g/1oz butter A handful of fresh chervil METHOD 1.