Delicious and healthy Italian cheese recipes to try this Christmas

‘Tis the season to treat yourself, but also to take care of yourself! With Grana Padano cheese, you can do both. Here are some healthy Italian cheese recipes that are packed with nutrients and full of flavour

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WORDS: Sarah Sellens

If you’re looking for ways to improve your health through your diet, Italian cuisine should be on your radar. From hearty beef stews from the alpine regions, to bright saffron risottos of the northern areas, Italian cuisine is central to the country’s identity. It’s no surprise then that authentic Italian meals offer a good balance of nutrients, healthy fats from olive oil, and fresh, seasonal produce. As well as providing a flavourful taste, these ingredients give a high nutrient intake that could improve muscle, bone and heart health, plus reduce the risk of some chronic diseases.

Authentic Italian cheese recipes make great show-stopping Christmas mains and side dishes, and those made with Grana Padano cheese are particularly nutrient rich. With a history that dates back almost 1,000 years to monks of the Chiaravalle Abbey in Milan, who made Grana Padano to preserve the surplus milk production, this ‘grainy’ cheese is packed with nutritional benefits because it’s so concentrated with semi-skimmed milk nutrients (fun fact: it takes 15 litres of semi-skimmed milk to produce 1kg of Grana Padano cheese!).

Healthy reasons to love cheese

As well as being naturally lactose-free, Grana Padano is rich in protein, boasting an average of 33g per 100g of cheese – great news for those who follow an active lifestyle and want to ensure a decent protein intake for muscle recovery and repair. The cheese is also an excellent source of calcium (roughly 1165mg per 100g) and other minerals such as magnesium, iodine and zinc, which are all required for optimal muscle function, tooth and bone health.

When consumed as part of a balanced diet, Grana Padano cheese brings essential nutrients to the table, providing a nutrient-dense alternative to other popular protein foods such as eggs or meat. That’s what makes it such a great choice this Christmas, because it’s full of flavour, high in nutrition, and great for adding variation to your meals. A mainstay in these authentically Italian recipes, Grana Padano is sure to delight and surprise your guests. Get ready to cook up a storm with these must-make meals from Italian chef, Alice Ostan.

Warm Grana Padano salad

This recipe is a vibrant, fibre-rich mix of antioxidant-packed vegetables and nourishing fats that support gut health, heart health and overall vitality.

Serves 4

Prep: 30 mins | Cook: 20 mins

Ingredients

200g Grana Padano

1 radicchio head

1 300g jar chargrilled artichokes

1 small regular cauliflower

1 romanesco cauliflower

50g toasted walnuts

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Method

1. Start by prepping the cauliflower, separating the florets and holding onto the leaves, and discarding only the base of the stalk. Blanch it all in boiling water for 5 mins, then drain well and place on a baking tray with a drizzle of olive oil and 50g of grated Grana Padano cheese. Bake for 15 mins at 180℃, then set aside.

2. While the cauliflower is baking, separate the radicchio leaves and wash thoroughly, drain the artichokes from any excess oil.

3. Once you’ve removed the cauliflower from the oven, toast the walnuts at the same temperature for 3 mins.

4. Break the remaining Grana Padano into small pieces. Then, start building your salad: alternating the radicchio, artichokes and cauliflower, then distributing the Grana Padano chunks evenly, sprinkle the walnuts, salt and pepper, and finish with a drizzle of the olive oil and the balsamic vinegar. Serve up and enjoy!

Nutritional info per serving  (kcal: 470  / carbs: 20 g / protein: 25 g / fat 34 g)

Grana Padano and spinach Roman gnocchi

A nourishing blend of leafy greens, slow release grains and calcium-rich Grana Padano, offering fibre, essential minerals and steady energy to support overall vitality.

Serves 4

Prep: 30 mins | Cook 25 mins | Plus 1 hr fridge cooling time

Ingredients

250g semolina flour

2 egg yolks

1 tsp salt

60g butter

1 litre milk

160g Grana Padano, grated

1 tsp nutmeg

900g bag of frozen spinach

Method

1. Start by adding the milk, half of the butter, nutmeg and salt to a saucepan and bring to a boil, then add the semolina flour and whisk non-stop to avoid lumps.

2. Turn down the heat to low and let it cook for 5 mins until it thickens. When the mix starts to come off the bottom of the pan like a dough, add the two yolks, using a spatula or a wooden spoon to incorporate them.

3. Add 100g of grated Grana Padano cheese and mix well. Transfer the dough on a sheet of parchment paper, split it into two and shape both into a cylinder, wrap in parchment paper and transfer to the fridge to cool for about one hour. Meanwhile defrost the spinach and squeeze to remove any excess water, set aside.

4. Now that the dough is cold and compact, you can slice discs of gnocchi around 1.5 cm thick. To help the knife run smoothly, keep wetting the blade with water so that the dough won’t stick.

5. You should produce around 40 pieces of gnocchi which you can place on a buttered /oiled baking tin – start creating a line of gnocchi followed by a small handful of spinach, carry on alternating the two until you have a full baking tray.

6. Drizzle over the remaining 30g of butter (melted) and sprinkle the remaining 60g of Grana Padano. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 200℃ in static mode. Serve hot and enjoy!

Nutritional info (kcal: 750  / carbs: 50g / protein: 38g / fat: 45g )

Grana Padano and dry fruits cantucci biscuits

This cheesy twist on the traditional Italian biscuits are packed with fibre-rich dry fruits that support digestive health, plus vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to bolster immune function.

Prep : 15 mins Cook 35-40 mins Serves 4

Ingredients

60g Grana Padano

200g plain flour

15g pistacchi

15g almonds

15g raisins

90g egg whites (at room temperature)

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

1. Start by adding the grated Grana Padano, olive oil and egg whites to a mixing bowl. Combine well using your hands until you obtain an even dough, then add the dry fruits and combine.

2. Transfer the dough onto your worktop and shape the dough into a long loaf, slightly flattened on top wide and around 4cm in diameter. Transfer it onto a baking tray with parchment paper and bake in the oven on static for 15 mins at 180℃.

3. Remove from the oven and slice the loaf into 0.5cm thick slices. You should have around 24 cantucci biscuits in total. Place them back on the baking tray and bake again, this time at 170℃ for 20-25 mins, until they are nice and golden. Remove from the oven and let them cool down. Enjoy!

Nutritional info, roughly per biscuit (kcal: 55 / carbs: 7g / protein: 2.5g / fat: 2.1 g )