Stop Throwing Out Your Leftover Parmesan Rinds. Here's Why.

ByStephanie Holmes, 01/21/2022

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Shaved off all the parmesan down to its rind? Don't throw it away! There's so much more life left to give in this nutty, flavorful Italian cheese.

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How to use up leftover parmesan rinds

Parmigiano Reggiano is one of the most delightful Italian cheeses in existence, sometimes referred to as the "King of Cheeses". With its sharp flavor and distinct combination of nuttiness and fruitiness, parmesan is the cheese of choice for so many recipes and of course, as a finishing touch to pastas, salads, soups, risottos and so much more. It can be finely grated or shaved for texture and depth of flavor. However you enjoy it, it's never a bad idea to add parmesan to your dishes.

Of course, before parmesan is made commercially available and sold in individual triangular slices, it is part of a large wheel that's usually aged anywhere between 24 and 36 months. However, there is no limit on the maturation period, and the cheese can be aged for much longer, even 100 months or more. During the aging process, it develops an exterior shell, which is known as the rind.

But what happens when you've grated or shaved all the way down to that hard and chewy rind? If you're in the habit of throwing it away, you are missing out on all the flavor it has left to give. Here are 5 easy and delicious ways to use up leftover parmesan rinds.