Cheese, provolone

Fun Facts

1. Provolone is the beautiful cheese you often see strung up with twine and hung from the ceiling of Italian food shops. But what is it? Imagine Mozzarella – with a much fuller flavour.
2. Like Mozzarella, Provolone comes from the family of pasta filata cheeses. Italian for “spun paste,” pasta filata cheeses are pulled-curd cheeses mixed with heated whey, then kneaded and stretched to a wonderfully pliable consistency.
3. Moulded into fanciful shapes, wrapped up in cords, and hung to ripen, Provolone develops an oily, golden brown rind. As it ages, the cheese becomes richer in yellow colour, firmer in texture, and more pronounced in flavour.
4. Provolone is also a great melting cheese. Use it when you want a little more “zing” than your usual mozzarella. Melt slices of Provolone onto grilled burgers or shred and bake into stuffed shells, lasagne, and casseroles.
5. Like Parmesan, aged Provolone is great to have on hand for sprinkling over finished recipes. Freshly grate your Provolone and use it as a topping for pizza, bruschetta, pasta dishes, salads, and soups.
6. NutritionData provides nutritional information for provolone cheese. The standard serving size is a single slice weighing about 1 oz., or 28g. The age of the provolone cheese doesn’t significantly affect its nutritional content.