A cache of assorted cheeses brought home recently encouraged us to research for some nice cheesy recipes which would pair well with wines. The cheese selected today was the Swiss Gruyere paired with Allegrini Valpolicella from Italy.
Gruyere Cheese
Gruyère is a hard yellow Swiss cheese that originated in Switzerland. It is named after the town of Gruyères which gained an AOC status in 2001. It is sweet but also slightly salty, with a flavor that varies widely with age. It is creamy and nutty when young, becoming more earthy and complex as it matures. When fully aged, it tends to have small cracks that impart a slightly grainy texture.
The Gruyère AOP
Taking its name from the magnificent region from which it comes, Gruyère AOP has been produced in the region since at least the twelfth century. This cheese made from unpasteurized cow’s milk benefits from the long traditional know-how of the master cheese makers and refiners.
It owes its distinctive taste, which is both subtle and sophisticated, to the quality of the pasture lands of the Fribourg countryside, to its traditional production methods and to an excellent maturation in the cellars, for up to 18 months. Each wheel is marked with the notation Gruyère AOP.
Creamy Gruyere Spaghetti
Ingredients – 1/2 tablespoon dried breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
Ground black pepper
5 ounces spaghetti
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup 2% milk
1/2 tsp herbs de Provence
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
2 cups roughly chopped fresh spinach
Recipe – boil water in a pan and put the Spaghetti in it. In a separate bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, olive oil, and a few pinches of black pepper. While the pasta boils, make the sauce. First, melt the butter in pan over medium heat. Once frothy, add the flour and stir to combine. Cook the paste for a minute and then slowly add the milk to the pan and stir. Now add cheese and stir until it’s melted. Add the spinach and stir until it wilts into the sauce. Add the cooked spaghetti to the pan and stir to coat it in the sauce. Sprinkle the parmesan breadcrumbs over the top of the Spaghetti. (Recipe source – https://bit.ly/3eRRDkm)
Pairing
The gruyere cheese Spaghetti was paired with an Italian Valpolicella. The crisp acidity of the wine cut across the creamy cheese to provide a good pairing. The nutty flavors of the cheese also complimented the fruitiness of the wine. A decent food – wine pairing.
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