Cheese is an inextricable part of Italian cuisine and life. Besides enjoying it just by the piece, a popular method of serving cheese is in a fonduta, or fondue, aka creamy cheese sauce. Fonduta is a classic sauce from Italy, in its most simple form a combination of milk and melted cheese.  Different cheeses can be used to create different consistencies and a variety of flavors for different purposes. 

During Chef Riccardo Severi’s cooking demonstration at our recent VeroTalk, live from his garden in Romagna, Italy, he whipped up his favorite fonduta topped with freshly picked fava beans. He chose a local aged cheese called fossa, made from sheep’s milk. In this recipe Chef Riccardo chose a local Romagnolo cheese, Formaggio di Fossa, or fossa cheese, to create a flavorful fonduta to serve with a few fava beans. This combination draws heavily on Riccardo’s passions for farm-to-table cuisine, especially as showcased by his new project, Sovescio. You can read more about what sovescio means and Riccardo’s cooking philosophies on our previous blog about Italian appetizer pinzimonio.

By choosing a fossa cheese, Riccardo leans heavily into Romagnolo culinary traditions, after all fossa is a DOP cheese, or certified by Italy as a product with ‘protected origin’ from only select areas with very high standards of quality control. Made from sheep’s milk, fossa has been given its name from the peculiar method in which it is aged.  After creating the typical round wheel, the cheese is buried in a shallow pit, or fossa in Italian, that has been smoked and lined with straw.  After around 90 days, it is removed, cleaned and allow to age above ground for another three months.  It is believed that this method of aging has been actively used in the Romagna area of Italy since the 15th century.

While fossa cheese makes a delicious fonduta, if none can be found, an aged pecorino cheese (also made from sheep’s milk) can be used to substitute. The flavor will be slightly more mild, but enjoyable and delicious all the same!

With this creamy fonduta, Braschi winery partner, Davide Castagnoli, recommended pairing it with Famoso white wine. The acidity pairs nicely with the creamy cheese and allows for a clean finish. Recently rediscovered (you can learn more about that story here) the famoso grape was thought extinct, and now thanks to artisan winemakers like Braschi, it is making a comeback. Sounds like a nice evening in: sipping Famoso and snacking on fonduta you can discover both a new wine and a new cheese recipe! You can also pick up the Taste of Romagna Set (with shipping included) to get not only a bottle of famoso, but also sangiovese to try with a fresh pinzimonio from our previous blog.

Fonduta di Fossa - Cheese Sauce with Fossa Sheep Milk Cheese

Procedure:

1. Gently peel the fava beans and place them into boiling water. When fork-tender, drain or scoop them out and immediately place them in a bowl of ice water to keep their vibrant color. When they are cooled, remove from the ice bath and set aside.

2. Grate or dice into small pieces the fossa cheese, set aside. Bring your milk to a simmer over low heat, stirring constantly. Add in the fossa cheese and stir well to mix.

3. Remove from heat and using either an immersion blender or stand blender, blend until a homogenous mixture. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired. Carefully cover with plastic wrap, gently touching the fonduta and let rest. After a few minutes, the fats in the cheese and milk should thicken and create a creamy sauce, ready to plate.

4. Serve the fonduta with a some of the vibrant fava beans spooned on top. Lastly, add a dash of tart sour-cherry jam or compote on top to add an extra dimension of flavor to the creamy cheese sauce. Pour yourself a glass of Famoso and enjoy!

Cooking and Prep Time: 30 minutes
Portions: 4 servings

Ingredients:
350g Sheep Milk Aged Fossa Cheese (or pecorino)
500ml Whole Milk
Salt-Pepper

To Garnish:
Fresh Fava Beans
Sour-Cherry Compote or Jam

Suggested Wine Pairings:
Braschi | Monte Sasso Famoso White Wine

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