What is Asiago Cheese?

Asiago is a type of Italian cow’s milk cheese. It is made in both fresh and aged varieties. Depending on the type, this cheese is a creamy white color and is either soft or hard in texture.

What does Asiago Cheese taste like?

Fresh Asiago has a mild flavor and a soft texture. On the contrary, aged Asiago is hard, crumbly, and has a sharper taste and a spicy quality, similar to parmesan cheese. 

How can you eat Asiago Cheese?

Both fresh and aged Asiago cheese can be eaten in many different ways. Fresh Asiago is great for melting on into pasta, sandwiches, and eating on crackers. Aged Asiago is perfect for grating on top of soups, pasta, and salads. 

Where can you buy Asiago Cheese?

You can find Asiago cheese at most grocery stores, near the other whole blocks of specialty cheese. Some grocery stores keep these cheeses near or inside of the deli case. 

How do you store Asiago Cheese?

Store both fresh and aged asiago cheese in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped in wax or parchment paper. Use fresh Asiago cheese within two weeks of buying it. Store aged Asiago cheese in the fridge for up to 6 months.

Cheese that has spots that are molding can still be used by cutting an inch below the mold with a knife (without touching the mold) and wrapping it in a fresh piece of parchment or wax paper. 

Aged asiago can also be frozen for up to a year, and can be used within a few days of defrosting. 

Fun Fact About Asiago Cheese:

Asiago cheese originated from Veneto, Italy. However, original versions of the cheese used sheep’s milk instead of cow’s milk.

Did You Know?

Fresh asiago has a thin cheese rind that you can eat, but aged Asiagos’ rind is too hard. Save Aged Asiago cheese rinds and toss them into soups or stews for a rich, savory flavor.

Recipes Using Asiago

Asiago Broccolini

Saute broccolini with garlic, salt, and pepper and serve topped with shaved pieces of asiago cheese.

Asiago Cream Sauce

Combine butter, cream, chicken stock, garlic, and asiago cheese in a saucepan to make a rich cream sauce. Use it to top chicken, pasta, or vegetables, like spaghetti squash or zucchini.

Mushroom Asiago Chicken

Sear chicken breasts in a pan with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put the chicken breasts to the side and cook sliced mushrooms and baby spinach until soft. Add in the asiago cream sauce mentioned above to the vegetable mixture and spoon over the seared chicken for a complete meal.

Cheese Roasted Tomatoes

Combine grated asiago and parmesan cheese in a bowl with some Italian seasonings. Top thick slices of large tomatoes with the cheese mixture and bake at 425 degrees for fifteen minutes. Use dried herbs like parsley, basil, oregano, and thyme to make your own Italian seasoning blend. These tomatoes work well as a side dish and pair well with many different meals.

Asiago Crusted Chicken

Use asiago cheese, bread crumbs, and egg to coat pieces of chicken breasts and fry them for 8 minutes on each side. Use a meat tenderizer to even out the chicken pieces and flatten them out slightly before breading. Serve the chicken on top of a green salad or with roasted cauliflower.