Ingredients

Method

• 70 g Woolworths pancetta
For the Parmesan cream: 
• 2 cups cream
• 2 extra-large free-range eggs
• ½ cup full-cream milk
• 10 g gelatine powder
• ¼ cup water
• 2 cups Woolworths Italian Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated 
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 
• 1 T Italian parsley, finely chopped 
For the profiteroles: 
• ½ cup milk
• 3 T butter
• 1/2 t salt
• ½ t chilli powder
• 90 g flour
• 2 free-range eggs
• ¾ cup Woolworths Italian Parmigiano Reggiano, grated 

Method

Ingredients

1. Air-fry the pancetta for 10 minutes at 200°C or until crispy. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, make the Parmesan custard. Bring the cream to the boil in a saucepan, then remove from the heat.

3. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then slowly add the cream. Add the milk while whisking.
4. Return the mixture to the pan over a low heat and stir until thickened – this should take about 5 minutes. Stir in a figure 8 to prevent the eggs from scrambling.
5. Soak the gelatine powder in the water for 5 minutes. Add to the milk and eggs, then add the Parmesan, salt and pepper.
6. Pour into a baking tray and chill. Remove from the fridge, then add the parsley and chopped, crispy pancetta. Spoon into a piping bag to cool completely.
7. To make the profiteroles, place the milk, butter and a salt in a small saucepan over a medium heat and stir to combine.

8. When the butter has melted, remove from the heat and add the chilli powder and flour in one go. Stir with a wooden spoon until a ball forms and the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan. This should take about 5 minutes.
9. Add the eggs one at a time, making sure that the first egg is very well incorporated before adding the next. Add the ¾ cup Parmesan.
10. Preheat the oven to 170°C. Spoon the mixture into a piping bag with no nozzle, then pipe cherry-sized rounds onto a baking sheet lined with silicone or baking paper, allowing 1 cm space between each round.
11. Dip your finger in water, flatten the rounds and bake for 16–20 minutes. They should be puffed and slightly browned.
12. Make a small incision in the bottom of each profiterole (this allows steam to escape and will save the pastry from collapsing) as soon as you remove them from then oven and allow to cool.
13. Fill each profiterole with the custard and garnish with extra crispy pancetta if desired.

Find more parmigiano reggiano recipes here

Recipe and production: Marcelle van Rooyen

Food assistant: Bianca Jones

Photography: Romy Wilson

Videography: Shavan Rahim

Fresh Parmigiano Reggiano is the difference between an average home-cooked meal and a gourmet dish. This medium-fat hard cheese is made from cow’s milk, has a sweet-salty flavour with fruity, buttery notes, and a crumbly texture. It's perfect in a rich, creamy cheese custard piped into savoury profiteroles, and takes weeknight ramen noodles to the next level in a cacio e pepe base made with grated Parmigiano Reggiano, and of course, a few extra shavings over the top! Whether you're creating elegant appetisers or elevating simple comfort food, Parmigiano Reggiano transforms everything, proving that one exceptional ingredient is all you need to turn ordinary into extraordinary.

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