A wedge of parmesan outlives most good intentions. It sits in the fridge, getting harder, long after the recipe that needed it.
Here are three dinners for one from the 3Onions app that each use parmesan, so the wedge you buy keeps earning its place.
Three dinners that use it up
Parmesan is in all three. Shop once, cook it three ways.
20 min · uses 2 tbsp parmesan
Chicken Caesar wrap
Ingredients and steps
Ingredients for one
½ lb chicken breast
1 tortillas
½ head romaine
2 tbsp parmesan
2 tbsp Caesar dressing
From your pantry: salt, black pepper, oil
Steps
Chop the romaine. Chop it before the raw chicken touches the board, then set it aside.
Cook the chicken. Slice the chicken in half horizontally into two thin cutlets and season with salt and black pepper. Cook in a little oil over medium-high, 4–5 minutes a side, until golden and 165°F inside. Rest it 3 minutes.
Dress the salad. While it rests, toss the romaine with the dressing and parmesan until every leaf is coated.
Wrap it up. Slice the chicken into strips on a clean board. Warm the tortilla in the skillet for 30 seconds a side, pile on the salad and chicken, fold in the sides and roll it up tight.
30 min · uses 2 tbsp parmesan
Pasta with meat sauce
Ingredients and steps
Ingredients for one
½ lb ground beef
3 oz pasta
½ cup marinara
2 tbsp parmesan
From your pantry: salt, Italian seasoning
Steps
Put the water on. Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil for the pasta.
Brown the beef. Crumble the beef into a hot skillet over medium-high with a pinch of salt and Italian seasoning. Cook, breaking it up, 6–8 minutes, until browned and 160°F. Spoon off any extra fat.
Simmer the sauce. Stir in the marinara and simmer gently 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the pasta until tender with a little bite and save a splash of its water.
Toss and top. Drain the pasta and toss it into the sauce with the splash of pasta water. Top with parmesan.
25 min · uses 2 tbsp parmesan
Spaghetti
Ingredients and steps
Ingredients for one
3 oz spaghetti
½ cup marinara
2 tbsp parmesan
From your pantry: salt, black pepper
Steps
Boil the spaghetti. Cook it in plenty of well-salted boiling water until tender with a little bite. Save a splash of the water before draining.
Warm the sauce. Meanwhile, warm the marinara in a skillet over medium-low until it’s gently bubbling.
Toss in the pan. Add the drained spaghetti and a splash of pasta water to the sauce. Toss over the heat for a minute, until the sauce clings to every strand.
Top and serve. Twirl it into a bowl and finish with parmesan and a crack of black pepper.
How to store parmesan
Wrap the wedge in parchment or wax paper, then loosely in foil or a bag, and keep it in the fridge. Plastic wrap pressed onto the cheese traps moisture. Stored well, a wedge lasts for weeks. Grated parmesan fades faster, so grate only what tonight needs.
Don't throw out the rind
Drop the rind into soup, beans or tomato sauce while it simmers, then lift it out before serving. It adds a deep, savory flavor. Rinds keep in the freezer, in a bag, until a pot needs one.
FAQ
Can you freeze parmesan?
Yes. Grated parmesan freezes well and goes straight from the freezer into hot food. A whole wedge freezes too, though it turns more crumbly.
Is the white stuff on parmesan mold?
Small white crystals are normal in aged parmesan. Fuzzy blue or green spots are mold: on a hard cheese like this, cut away at least an inch around the spot.
