The Cheese
- Grana Padano PDO
  Grana Padano is the best-selling PDO cheese in the world. The culture of wellness is an intrinsic part of the production chain of this unique, inimitable cheese.
- Ageing
- Production process
- History
Recipes
- Recipes
  Thanks to its versatility, Grana Padano cheese enables everyone to become more creative in the kitchen. Be inspired by our suggestions.
- Pairings
- How to store
- Presentation
Consortium
- Consortium
  For over sixty years, the Grana Padano Protection Consortium has united producers, maturing companies and distributors of our cheese, guaranteeing compliance with the traditional recipe and its characteristic high quality in every single cheese wheel produced.
- Activities, protection and promotions
Media
- Media
  Protecting Grana Padano also means promoting its image. This is why the Consortium promotes many activities aimed at spreading the culture of this cheese worldwide, through advertising campaigns, events and other initiatives.
- Press area
- We collaborate with
Responsible taste
- Responsible taste
  Grana Padano is produced in a sustainable way. The Grana Padano Protection Consortium is comitted to managing its impact responsibly, engaging the consumer, the community in which it operates and the entire production chain.
Curiosities

English

Courgette spaghetti with Grana Padano and basil pesto

Details

. Difficulty: Easy . Serves: 4 people . Preparation time: 25 minutes . Variety: Pasta

I admit this recipe could look childish but, in all honesty, what’s wrong with that?!
I find it fun once in a while to be childish around the table and I think that it’s also a great way to involve the kids more.
I got to be honest, my toddler daughter wasn’t fooled long by these courgetti, she spotted it wasn’t pasta after the first bite, but at least she tried it, and that is already a win.
On the plus side, the aromatic summer pesto with Grana Padano is delicious not only with courgettes but with any vegetables you like, a great dressing alternative for adults to keep ready to use in the fridge.
Chef’s tips: if a specific herb is not available you can swap it for something else, be creative. If you make more pesto than needed, keep it in a clean jar in the fridge for up to 7 days, or freeze it in small portions to enjoy also in winter. Make sure to use firm green courgettes otherwise they could be too watery for this recipe.

Ingredients

4 firm green courgettes
200 g of cherry tomatoes
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
Fresh herbs to garnish
Almond to garnish
Lemon zest to garnish
Extra grated Grana Padano

For the pesto
25 g of basil
15 g of parsley
10 g of mint
30 g of grated Grana Padano
80 ml of extra virgin olive oil
15 g of almonds
½ garlic clove
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Prepare the pesto ahead. Wash and dry the herbs and blitz everything in a processor until you have a grainy paste. Keep aside.

Wash and dry the courgette and cut them into spaghetti using a vegetable spiralizer (or go for the already cut version if your supermarket has it).
Fry the garlic in olive oil and add the courgettes. Stir and toss on high heat for about 2 minutes and remember not to season the courgettes with salt or they could get too watery. Remove the garlic and take the pan from the heat. Dress the courgettes with the pesto and mix well to coat them, season to taste only at this point.

Plate the courgettes, top with the cherry tomatoes and grated Grana Padano and garnish with fresh herbs, lemon zest and toasted chopped almonds.
Serve warm.