Michael Angelo’s
Key Ingredients

Imported Italian Cheeses

In the Italian countryside, cheese is such an essential part of daily life that you often see wheels of Pecorino, Parmesan and other cheeses hanging from the rafters of houses and barns. For the Italian cook, only cheeses made using Old World methods is acceptable.

It’s the same at Michael Angelo’s. All of the cheeses we use in our gourmet Italian meals are made with Old World methods. What’s the difference?

Cheeses made using these methods contain all-natural ingredients and are allowed to curd over time, giving each its distinctive flavor and texture. Automated factories add binders and fillers, color additives, texturizers and more. Sometimes, they add enzymes and send the milk through piping systems to speed up the curding process. We don’t think that sounds like something we’d want to eat.

The cheeses Michael Angelo’s uses are always all natural, whether it’s our Pecorino Romano or Reggiano Parmesan, imported directly from Italy, or our creamy mozzarella, made specifically for us using the same techniques that Italians have employed for centuries.

“Mom, get off the truck!”

“ Mom’s a stickler for cheese, and she’s locked horns with the biggest vendors over the quality of their products.
“ One time, we had a truck of mozzarella show up, and she decided to go check on it. So she goes out and climbs up on the truck, and I can see that the driver is this giant of a guy! He turns around, looks at her and says, ‘Whatta YOU want?’ And I’m thinking, oh no, I’m going to have to deal with this guy?
“ She opens up the back, takes a cheese out, pinches a piece off, and I could just see it on her face. ‘It’s no good,’ she says. ‘We’re not taking it.’”
“ The huge trucker is yelling, ‘I’ve gotta get this stuff off my truck!’
“ And all I can say is, ‘Mom, come down off the truck! And leave him up there, don’t bring him down here!’” – Michael

Asiago

Michael Angelo’s Asiago is purchased in whole wheels to ensure freshness and purity.

Named for the Italian region where it is produced, there are two forms of Asiago cheese: fresh Asiago (Pressato) and mature Asiago (Asiago d´Allevo). Asiago Pressato is made with whole milk and aged for about 40 days. On the other hand, Asiago d´Allevo aged up to a year and has a yellowish color and a somewhat grainy texture. Both offer a nut-like flavor.

Michael Angelo’s uses mature Asiago d´Allevo in its Chicken Alfredo, Ravioli Florentine and Chicken in Asiago Sauce.

Ricotta

Ricotta, meaning “cooked again” is a soft white fresh cheese with a texture smoother than cottage cheese. Made from the whey drained from other cheeses like provolone and mozzarella, it has a grainy, thick texture and a rich but mildly sweet, flavor.

While Michael Angelo’s regular all-natural Ricotta is already low in fat and in salt content, we also use a special low-fat ricotta in our famous Vegetable Lasagna.

Romano

Hard, salty and sharp, Romano is usually grated before use. True Romano is made from sheep's milk (Pecorino Romano) or goat's milk (Caprino Romano), though mass-produced versions, as in the United States, are often made from cow's milk (Vacchino Romano).

Michael Angelo’s only uses imported Italian Pecorino Romano cheese made from sheep’s milk and purchased in whole wheels to ensure freshness and purity. Taste the difference this authentic cheese makes in our Roasted Chicken Bolognese, Spinach Ravioli and other dishes.

Mozzarella

Mozzarella describes several kinds of Italian fresh cheese that are made using spinning and then cutting (the Italian verb mozzare means” to cut.”) Most mozzarella is made from unpasteurized water buffalo's milk; Campania's buffalo milk or cow's milk. Lesser grades of mozzarella may be made from mixtures, are sometimes smoked, and may be stored in preservatives.

Michael Angelo’s only uses mozzarella di bufala campana (Campania's buffalo milk) in its authentic Italian entrées, because it is regarded as the best quality available. It arrives fresh in its traditional ball shape without preservatives and is used immediately so that each dish captures the smooth, mellow taste this marvelous cheese adds to our favorite recipes.

Parmesan

Parmesan is the common term for any cheese similar to Parmigiano Reggiano, a hard, grainy Italian cheese that is made from raw cow's milk, brined and then aged for 24 months. True Parmigiano Reggiano cheese has a complex fruity/nutty taste with a slightly gritty texture.

Michael Angelo’s only uses genuine imported Parmigiano Reggiano in full wheels to ensure quality and freshness. Taste the difference this outstanding cheese makes in our Eggplant Parmesan, Four-Cheese Lasagna and other delicious Italian dishes.

Tuscan Blend

Michael Angelo’s farm-style blend of piave and fontina cheeses captures the flavor of the Tuscan countryside. We combine the finest imported fontina, a semi-firm cheese with the mild taste of wild mushrooms with imported piave, a buttery cheese made high in the mountains of northern Italy. The result is outstanding flavor that makes our Spinach Ravioli one of our favorite Italian entrées.