Mascarpone is a mild, semi-sweet, soft Italian cheese. The cheese is generally flavored with fruit and eaten after meals as a dessert. Perhaps the most well-known application is its role as a major ingredient in the Italian dessert tiramisu. However, mascarpone has many uses in main course and side dish recipes as well as other delicious dessert dishes. Mascarpone is very high in saturated fat and low in protein and sodium. Nutritionally, it is best to pair it with healthier foods to enhance their flavor.
Soups
Mascarpone adds flavor and creaminess when coupled with soups such as broccoli-mascarpone, spinach with mascarpone, and roasted tomato with mascarpone. These soups begin with healthy vegetables and, in some cases, healthy vegetable broth and olive oil. The soups are wholesome and luscious.
Sandwiches
Mascarpone cheese can be spread on the bread of any sandwich to impart flavor and to act as a barrier so the moisture from the sandwich ingredients do not soak into the bread. Grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are a natural pair, and both can be made with mascarpone cheese. Mascarpone can also be used to make an unusual and tasty sandwich that serves as a sweet treat or breakfast item. Spread butter over one side of two pieces of bread, and lay them butter-side down on a cookie sheet. Spread the dry side of one slice with preserves, and arrange eight berries of your choice over the preserves. Sprinkle grated chocolate evenly over the mixture of preserves and berries. Spread mascarpone cheese over the dry side of the remaining slice of bread. Place the mascarpone-covered bread slice, mascarpone-side down, atop the chocolate-topped bread slice. Sprinkle the buttered side of the sandwich lightly with brown sugar. In a skillet, grill the sandwich on both sides until the chocolate is melted and the bread is golden brown.
Main Course
As with other applications, the varieties of entrees that are prepared with mascarpone are seemingly endless. Your choice of pasta cooked with chicken, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach is a full and satisfying meal made even more delicious with the addition of mascarpone cheese. Shrimp risotto with fennel dust and mascarpone is creamy and delectable. Maine lobster vermicelli with wilted onion, herbal tomato and mascarpone is a favorite dish that utilizes the sweet flavor and creaminess of mascarpone.
Desserts
Mascarpone cheese pairs extremely well with fruits, chocolates and confections to create scrumptious, mouth-watering desserts. Whether mascarpone is simply mixed with berries of your choice and presented as a quick and tempting dessert or lovingly concocted into a multi-layered tiramisu, it is strikingly appetizing in appearance and delicious in flavor. The sweet creamy nature of mascarpone lends itself to blending with other ingredients and can be serve as a substitute for cream cheese in most recipes.
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