Parmigianno Reggiano is THE only parmesan cheese you should buy.

Everything else is like a ghost fart.

And consider buying the blocks of fresh PR at Costco rather than the jarred pre-shredded stuff.

Joe

Ditto what Joe said.

I pay $9.99/lb for block, but once you factor in the rind waste (well, not waste, but still...) $13.69 isn't a great price but not terrible either.

I wouldn't hesitate to go for it Laurie. It will work fine.

Thanks for all of your quick responses! I'll cook the lasagna this Saturday : )

Some time ago I heard (or read)....Food Network? Sunday paper's food section?... - that a good idea for those Parmigiano Reggiano rinds was to save them and toss them into simmering tomato based soups to add another layer of flavor to them. Of course, you remove what's left of the rind before serving.

I think that LindaC does the same!

I do that too but not in soup , in my spaghetti sauce. Adds an interesting dimension.

Ah, one of my favorites cheeses but I love almost all cheese:). Chase I love the idea of it in spaghetti sauce. I have done it in soup. Thanks!

Laurie, I've used the parm in the tub on several occasions..It tastes great and holds up well in the fridge for a few weeks-to a month once openened.

I've also used the brick from Costco. They are the same cheese.

Right now I'm on a fancy kick. I'm getting my Parm Reg from Argentina it's raw milk..from my Health Food Co-op ...nice and Parmi! LOL

$9.99/lb for block is a steal! My Costco is charging $20/# for the block of PR. Tastes like heaven too.

I find that pregrated parm....good parm doesn't last as long as a chunk does. I have had it get moldy....and that breaks my heart!
Not that I don't buy it, but only when I know I will use it up quickly.

A month or so ago when I was cooking up those 5 gallon buckets of tomatoes, I made some sauce and put a parm reg rind in it. It cooks soft and sort of "mucky" and I scraped some cheese off in to the sauce...and the neighbor who gave me all the tomatoes came in and stirred the pot....and discovered this strange "thing" in the tomato sauce! LOL!!
But it does add something to the sauce!
Linda C

I never buy Parmesan already grated. I tend to buy Parmigiano Reggiano that is three years old, but I will accept two year old cheese, although it has less flavor. The price will also reflect how much flavor I am getting. If I need a lot, I grate it on the grating attachment of my Kitchenaid mixer, which is very powerful and will grate the rind as well - at least almost all of it. The grater is heavy duty steel, and so it handle very hard materials, including chocolate.

If you are making it for a large group, you might want to use a cheaper Parmesan because not everyone appreciates it. I think I pay about $14 per pound for the two year Parmesan and $20 for the three year cheese, and it's worth it. It makes a huge difference in Caesar salad.

Lars