Which is the best Parmesan for on top of spaghetti?

Sometimes it takes awhile to locate that topic that really catches your interest. This one is a favorite of mine. Italian food is one of my favorites, and a friend of mine who was born in Italy makes the best I have tasted. She has very kindly shared some of her "secret" ingredients, and the one that I find really makes the difference in a good Italian dish verus one that is down-right melt in your mouth deliciious is the right parmesan cheese. If you really want spectacular flavor, go for the parmigiano reggiano, and the longer it is aged the better the quality. 12 months is the minimum. A cheese that is aged 12 - 18 months will be described as Parmigiano Reggiano, whereas, one that is aged 18 to 24 months is called Parmigiano Reggiano, Veccio. The very best is Parmigiano Reggiano, Stravecchio, which is aged for a minimum of 24 months. Some are aged for more than 3 years. Expect to pay more than $10.00 per pound. Parmigiana Reggiano is available in grated form in some stores, but the best way to get it is to buy it in chunk form and grate your own. I have gone through several different cheese graters until I found one made by Zyllis, which does an excellent job. Reently GoodGrips came out with a new one that seems to do an okay job as well. Next, I would suggest parmigiano grand padano. I find that it has a somewhat milder flavor, but still gives that really nice zing to the food. It is also a bit cheaper. If you want a different flavor, try combining the above two cheeses with Asiago, which is also from Italy and has a wonderful taste. This cheese is often seved on a cheese platter, along with other varieties. Where to get it? I didn't notice where you are from, but Costco carries a couple of varieties of very good quality, and you can get it at Trader Joe's and if you are near Berkley, Berkley Bowl has an excellent selection of cheeses at a reasonable price (at least last time I looked.) In Canada, I would recommend any Italian deli store or Costco.

Just pick up a can of grated Parmesan from Kraft. It'll be a tall green container near the shredded cheese and cream cheese. Personally I really like the Parmesan/Romano mix. I use it on pasta dishes and also in my artichoke dip.

I have been using fresh parmesan for quite along time. Just recently I tried to use the one out of the can like Kraft and did not enjoy at all. When I first started using the fresh I would buy a wedge of parmesan from the deli and grate as needed. This got to be expensive and now I usually get the shredded in the package in the dairy/cheese section. I get which ever one is on sale they are pretty much the same. Most times I get the Sargento brand as I usually have a coupon for it.

Hi, I love Italian food too. You are right - Kraft is very bland. My husband loves Locatelli Pecorino Romano cheese. It has lots of flavor, definatley not like Kraft cheese that's for sure. I love Asiago cheese and Gran Padano cheese is the most tasty for me!! I also love to grate Asiago cheese over bruschetta. Ooohh....I'm HUNGRY now. Take care and let us know what you went for!! :D