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Parmesan Cheese on Pizza? How It’s Used in Italian-American Cooking 🍕🧀
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Mar 31, 2025
🧀🍕 Parmesan Cheese on Pizza – How to Use It for the Best Flavor! 🇮🇹 Is Parmesan cheese a key ingredient in pizza, or just a finishing touch? 🤔 In this episode, we explore how Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano) is traditionally used in Italian-American pizza—from blending it with mozzarella to using it as a final topping for an extra boost of umami. Whether you're making classic Margherita pizza, white pizza, or gourmet-style Parmesan-crusted pizza, understanding how Parmesan enhances texture and flavor will take your homemade pizza to the next level! 🔥 Key Topics Covered: ✅ Why Parmesan Is Used in Pizza & How It Differs from Mozzarella ✅ Best Ways to Add Parmesan: In the Dough, Sauce, or as a Topping ✅ Pairing Parmesan with Other Cheeses for the Ultimate Flavor ✅ How to Use Freshly Grated vs. Pre-Grated Parmesan 🔥 Ingredients for a Parmesan Cheese Pizza: Pizza Dough (Homemade or Store-Bought) Tomato Sauce (San Marzano Tomatoes for Authentic Flavor) Mozzarella Cheese (Low-Moisture or Fresh for Melting) Parmesan Cheese (Finely Grated for a Flavor Boost!) Olive Oil & Fresh Basil (For Finishing Touches) Garlic & Red Pepper Flakes (Optional for Extra Flavor) 👨🍳 Why You’ll Love This Episode:
View Video Transcript
0:00
welcome to the Deep dive today we are
0:02
diving deep into parmesan cheese pizza
0:05
you send us a fantastic recipe and a
0:07
podcast segment and we are so excited to
0:09
break it all down absolutely we're going
0:11
to unpack the howto and then we'll also
0:13
talk about what makes parmesan so
0:15
special for pizza yeah like what
0:17
techniques we can all use to get that
0:19
really great outcome exactly think of it
0:22
like we're taking pizza night to a whole
0:23
new level level up your pizza game get
0:26
ready for some cheesy insights I love it
0:29
so the re recie and the podcast segment
0:31
you sent in you know they really
0:32
highlighted parmesan as like the star
0:35
the star ingredient absolutely it got me
0:37
thinking I mean we use it on Pizza all
0:39
the time as a topping but this recipe
0:42
seems to really celebrate it in a
0:44
different way in a different way yeah
0:46
I'm curious to get your take on that
0:47
well I think it's fascinating how this
0:49
recipe really leans into the unique
0:51
qualities of Parmesan um you know the
0:53
long aging process which can sometimes
0:56
be up to 36 months wow results in a
0:59
really low moisture content and that's
1:01
what gives you that sharp nutty flavor
1:03
it really comes through that's a great
1:05
point and that low moisture content you
1:07
mentioned that's actually what makes it
1:08
perfect for getting all crispy in the
1:10
oven right exactly it creates these like
1:13
irresistible crispy bits that add this
1:15
wonderful textural element to the pizza
1:17
yeah and they even suggest incorporating
1:19
it into the dough which is not your
1:21
average pizza dough at all no not at all
1:23
and speaking of the dough you know in
1:25
the recipe in segment they really
1:26
emphasize taking your time with the
1:28
rising process like a full hour it's
1:32
crucial why is that so important well
1:35
allowing that dough to rise properly is
1:38
crucial for gluten development and that
1:40
gluten development is what gives you
1:42
that lighter areer crust they also
1:44
mentioned the window pane test to check
1:47
if the dough has been needed enough now
1:49
for our listeners who might not be
1:50
familiar can you explain what the window
1:52
pane test is sure and why is it so
1:55
important for pizza dough yeah the
1:57
window pane test is a simple way to
1:59
check if you've developed enough gluten
2:01
in your dough you take a small piece of
2:03
the dough and you stretch it gently and
2:06
if you can stretch it thin enough that
2:08
you can actually see light through it
2:10
without it tearing then you've achieved
2:13
that like beautiful gluten structure
2:15
that's amazing that's key for a pizza
2:17
crust that can hold its shape and has
2:19
that perfect chewi so that's the science
2:22
behind it exactly that makes perfect
2:24
sense now let's move on to the sauce yes
2:26
the sauce they kept it pretty simple it
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seems just tomatoes sauce garlic powder
2:31
and oregano I love it I think that
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Simplicity really speaks to the heart of
2:36
this recipe it's all about letting those
2:39
fresh high quality ingredients really
2:41
shine through yeah they did have a
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couple of optional additions though like
2:45
using San Marano Tomatoes oh yeah or
2:48
adding a pinch of red pepper flake yeah
2:49
which are all great ways to kind of
2:51
personalize the flavor for sure but even
2:53
those additions are still relatively
2:55
simple it really emphasizes that idea
2:57
that you don't need a ton of complicated
3:00
ingredients to make a delicious sauce
3:02
and now comes the fun part putting it
3:04
all together yes assembly time they talk
3:07
about rolling the dough out into a 12in
3:09
circle a nice 12in Circle spreading that
3:12
sauce evenly spreading the sauce and
3:14
then of course the cheese now we're
3:16
talking they recommend a good amount of
3:19
mozzarella oh yeah got to have that
3:21
mozzarella for that classic melt and
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cheesy pull of course yeah but it's the
3:25
parmesan used both before and after
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baking that elevates this pizza to
3:31
something special that double dose of
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Parmesan both before and after baking
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that's really what sets this recipe
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apart I'm curious what do you think the
3:40
ideal ratio of mozzarella to parmesan is
3:44
to achieve that perfect balance of
3:46
flavor and texture that's a great
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question MH um I think it really depends
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on your personal preference of course
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but I would say like a ratio of about 3
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to one mozzarella to parmesan is a good
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starting point yeah that allows
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mozzarella to provide that classic
4:02
gooiness while still letting the
4:04
parmesan unique flavor come through I
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love that you mentioned personal
4:07
preference because ultimately the best
4:09
pizza is the one that you enjoy the most
4:11
absolutely now the final
4:14
step baking baking they suggest 10 to 12
4:19
minutes in a 500° oven that's hot it's
4:22
pretty hot it is why such a high
4:24
temperature well that high heat is
4:26
essential for getting that crispy crust
4:28
and perfectly melted cheese they also
4:31
mentioned using a pizza stone or baking
4:32
sheet for optimal crispiness yes have
4:35
you ever experimented with other cooking
4:37
methods like using a grill oh yeah or a
4:40
cast iron skillet absolutely I'm so
4:42
curious how those might affect the final
4:44
product those are great questions and
4:46
we'll definitely delve deeper into those
4:48
alternative cooking methods a bit later
4:50
but first I want to hear what stood out
4:52
to you the most so far in this part of
4:54
our Deep dive welcome back to our deep
4:57
died into parmesan cheese pizza before
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we get to those alternative cooking
5:01
methods okay I want to go back to a key
5:03
point they made okay don't overload the
5:05
pizza oh yeah that's something I'm
5:08
definitely guilty of it's so tempting
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it's so tempting to pile on all the
5:11
coings right and it can lead to uneven
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cooking and a soggy crust right they
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especially cautioned against too much
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sauce oh a soggy crust that's the worst
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it's a pizza tragedy worse they also
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talk about grating your parmesan fresh
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yes now why is that so important well
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pre-shredded cheese you know it often
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contains added cellulose to prevent
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clumping and that can really affect how
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well it melts no interesting freshly
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grated Parmesan just melts beautifully
5:40
and creates those crispy flavorful bits
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we love those we all know and love it's
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amazing how the little details can make
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such a big difference absolutely in the
5:49
final product yeah okay now let's get
5:51
back to those alternative cooking
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methods you mentioned earlier yes a
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grill or a cast iron skillet right what
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are the advantag es of each well
6:01
grilling of course imparts that
6:03
wonderful Smoky flavor ooh and charred
6:07
to the crust adding another dimension to
6:10
the overall taste I love that a cast
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iron skillet on the other hand creates
6:15
like this intense even heat resulting in
6:19
a remarkably crispy crust both of those
6:22
options sound so tempting it's true I'm
6:25
just picturing that Smoky Aroma of a
6:27
grilled pizza with all that melty
6:28
parmesan it's making me hungry I know me
6:31
too but yeah it's really all about
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choosing the method that best suits your
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taste and the equipment you have makes
6:37
sense you know they didn't get into the
6:38
specifics of each method okay but it's a
6:40
great opportunity to experiment and find
6:43
what works best for you I love that
6:45
experimentation is what makes cooking
6:47
fun exactly you know it's about taking a
6:50
recipe as like a starting point and then
6:53
making it your own exactly now specking
6:56
of personalization they also encouraged
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experimenting with toppings suggesting
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sauteed mushrooms o yeah or thinly
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sliced cooked beef okay good choices
7:07
what I found so intriguing was they
7:09
didn't limit the suggestions you know
7:12
it's really open for you to explore your
7:15
own topping combinations that's a great
7:17
way to empower The Listener I think so
7:19
too and encourage culinary creativity
7:21
ree becomes a foundation right for
7:23
Endless Possibilities Endless
7:25
Possibilities what stood out to you
7:27
about their
7:28
suggestions well I noticed that the
7:30
suggested toppings yeah you know they
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all share a Savory quality which pairs
7:36
so well it does with that sharpness of
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the parmesan right but I think the real
7:40
takeaway is that you can use this recipe
7:43
as a springboard I like that for your
7:45
own flavor Adventures you know it's
7:47
about understanding those core elements
7:50
of the recipe and then building on those
7:53
with your own personal touches
7:55
absolutely now before we move on okay I
7:58
want to go back to something they really
8:00
emphasized throughout the entire recipe
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in segment okay and that's using high
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quality ingredients why is that so
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important it's huge especially for you
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know a seemingly simple dish like pizza
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well using fresh flavorful ingredients
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elevates the taste of any dish right and
8:18
pizza is no exception of course you know
8:21
they highlighted the importance of fresh
8:23
parmesan and that principle applies to
8:25
every part of the recipe it makes sense
8:27
because you're basically building layers
8:29
of flavor you are and if you're using
8:32
the best possible ingredients then each
8:35
layer each layer is going to shine
8:37
through think of it like you're creating
8:38
a masterpiece okay the ingredients are
8:41
your artistic tools and using high
8:44
quality tools will undoubtedly result in
8:47
a more beautiful and satisfying final
8:50
product I love that analogy it's an
8:52
investment in both flavor and quality it
8:54
really is speaking of quality let's move
8:56
on to the next part of our Deep dive
8:58
where we'll explore the broader
8:59
implications of this recipe and what it
9:02
reveals about the evolving landscape of
9:05
home cooking what are your initial
9:07
thoughts on that we've talked about the
9:08
ingredients the techniques the different
9:10
cooking methods but I want to zoom out a
9:12
bit what does this parmesan cheese pie
9:15
this recipe yeah really tell us about
9:17
how people are approaching cooking today
9:20
that's a really great question I think
9:22
this recipe reflects a few interesting
9:25
trends that we're seeing in The Culinary
9:27
world one of the most prominent I I
9:29
think is this emphasis on Simplicity oh
9:32
yeah and really approachable cooking
9:35
you're right it is a pretty
9:36
straightforward recipe it is even
9:37
someone with you know limited cooking
9:39
experience could totally make this
9:41
exactly and that to me speaks to a
9:43
growing desire for these home-cooked
9:46
meals that are both delicious and easy
9:48
to prepare I mean people are busy right
9:50
yeah they are but they still crave that
9:52
satisfaction of creating something
9:54
homemade it's like this recipe strikes
9:57
that perfect balance between Gourmet and
9:59
achievable MH you get that elevated feel
10:02
with the parmesan cheese being front and
10:03
center right but it's still something
10:05
you can realistically make you know on a
10:08
week night absolutely and that leads me
10:10
to another Trend that I see reflected
10:13
here and that's this focus on using high
10:15
quality ingredients yeah they were so
10:17
specific about using fresh parmesan
10:20
right and it seems implied that all the
10:22
ingredients should be topnotch yeah like
10:25
even with a simple recipe the quality of
10:26
your ingredients is going to make all
10:28
the difference precisely I think it
10:29
speaks to this growing awareness of the
10:31
connection between food quality flavor
10:36
and even our health right yeah people
10:38
are much more conscious of where their
10:40
food comes from and what goes into it so
10:42
it's not just about convenience anymore
10:44
it's about it's about making those
10:45
thoughtful choices and like you said
10:48
investing in ingredients that are good
10:49
for you and taste amazing exactly and
10:52
this parmesan cheese pizza I think
10:53
really embodies that shift beautifully
10:56
it's a celebration of simple highquality
10:58
ingredients
10:59
preped in a way that natural flavors
11:03
shine through you know what I also think
11:05
there's an element of nostalgia oh at
11:08
play here too Pizza is such a classic
11:11
comfort food it is it's so familiar
11:14
that's such a great point I think this
11:16
recipe Taps into that sense of
11:18
familiarity yeah but then elevates it
11:20
with like this Gourmet twist and the
11:23
parmesan is key to that it's like taking
11:25
a childhood favorite and giving it this
11:27
like sophisticated makeover I love that
11:30
speaking of sophistication I noticed
11:32
that in the recipe in the segment they
11:34
emphasize the social aspect of you know
11:36
making and enjoying this pizza they did
11:38
yeah talking about you know family movie
11:40
night or date night an experience I
11:43
think that really highlights the growing
11:45
importance of food as a way to connect
11:47
with others and create those shared
11:49
experiences you know in our increasingly
11:52
digital world oh yeah there's something
11:54
really grounding and meaningful about
11:57
sharing a meal with people we care about
11:59
it's about more than just you know
12:01
satisfying our hunger it's about
12:03
nourishing our relationships yes and
12:05
creating memories absolutely and this
12:08
parmesan cheese pizza this recipe
12:11
provides this really delicious framework
12:13
for doing just that yeah it encourages
12:16
you to gather with loved ones Savor the
12:19
process of creating something special
12:20
together and enjoy a meal that's both
12:23
delicious and meaningful so listener
12:26
this deep dive into parmesan cheese
12:28
pizza oh it's more than just pizza it's
12:30
been about more than just a recipe it is
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it's about understanding how we think
12:35
about food today the Simplicity that
12:38
quality the connection the connection
12:40
yeah what are your takeaways I hope
12:42
you're feeling inspired to try this
12:43
recipe at home don't be afraid to
12:45
experiment with different toppings
12:47
different cooking methods play around
12:49
even different types of Parmesan and
12:51
remember you can find the full recipe on
12:53
the eat every slice blog at eat every
12:55
slice.com at eat every slice.com we'd
12:58
love to hear your thoughts on the recipe
12:59
and see all your delicious Creations so
13:01
be sure to tag us on social media or
13:03
leave a comment on the blog until next
13:05
time happy cooking
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