If you are a cheese lover, you are going to obsess over this new trend. The cheese wheel pasta is making a huge splash at Italian restaurants around the United States. Never heard of it? Keep on reading to find out what it is and why this cheesy pasta is growing so popular.
What is the Cheese Wheel Pasta
Picture a giant wheel of cheese, carve out the middle, throw your favorite pasta inside, and mix it up! The cheese wheel pasta is exactly what it sounds like. The steaming hot pasta is inserted into a cheese wheel, causing the cheese to melt perfectly, covering each noodle. Some restaurants will bring the wheel over to your table and mix it right in front of you to create an exciting experience. Who wouldn’t love their pasta dipped in a pool of cheese?
Restaurants have chefs come to each table with their choice of pasta. They dump the pasta inside and use scraping tools to lift the melted cheese into the pasta. Some restaurants offer meat such as veal or lamb as an addition to your cheesy pasta.
How to Make it Yourself
If you are looking for a dish that will wow the guests at your dinner party, the cheese wheel is easy to recreate right at home. Parmesan is most commonly used, but you can choose your preference of any hard cheese wheel. Cut open your wheel to form a bowl, boil pasta, as usual, dump the pasta inside, and use scraping spoons to mix the hot pasta into the cheese. Serve and enjoy! It is a simple dish that you and your family will adore.
The Table-Side Experience at Nico
If this article had your mouth watering, you are in luck! Nico Ristorante in Boston, MA, is now offering their very own parmesan cheese wheel experience. The dish you will be served is Cacio e Pepe, a pasta sauce made with parmesan and pepper. The chefs will bring a giant wheel to your table-side to allow you to watch the magic happen. Come into Nico or Strega after 4 PM any night to experience North End’s only cheese wheel pasta!
