In the past we wrote to HuffPost UK about how some Italians balance the acidity of tomato sauces with more than just sugar.
We’ve even shared the secrets of the best Bolognese sauce.
But whether you like oregano in your sauces, curse sage, or think basil is great, you’re likely missing a spice that some Italians consider crucial: nutmeg.
Maria Chiara Passini of My Italian Cooking told HuffPost UK: “There’s a reason why the fact that nutmeg is the most commonly used spice in typical Parma recipes. . . it goes well with Parmigiano Reggiano, our number one ingredient!”
“Parmigiano Reggiano aged for 30 months (the aging we use to the fullest in cooking) is characterized by [notes of] nutmeg, so for us it’s herbal [through] adding a little nutmeg as well. It just doesn’t have to be if you overdo it, or your flavor will overpower,” he added.
Chiara says that the spice has a place with the anolini filling, passatelli and baked tip.
“I’m thinking béchamel, I’m thinking nutmeg,” New York-based Italian chef Silvia Barban of LaRina Pastificio also shared with HuffPost UK. “In autumn, it’s this flavor that I need to try, either with pumpkin or with Parmigiano. “
“In Italy we use nutmeg for stuffed pasta, béchamel or pumpkin,” adds Silvia.
According to the culinary publication Racette Magazine, after being brought to the country in the twelfth century, the spice was established in Italian cuisine, for sweet and savory recipes.
Its sweet and spicy flavor has countless delicious applications, they say; “Tortellini and cannelloni recipes use nutmeg for its earthy sweetness in the meat filling. . . Malfatti, an Italian dumpling from Lombardy made with wild vegetables, flour, eggs and a clever pinch of nutmeg. “
That’s a question.
Italian food site Italiana states that “Italians’ love affair with caffeine has brought the virtues of nutmeg and cinnamon to a new audience” for sweet coffee and desserts, but that “these two spices have as much, if not more, to give a relief to the saltiness of Italian dishes.
The post goes on to say that it balances the acidity of plum tomatoes, makes spinach and ricotta tortellini sing, and pairs perfectly with pumpkin and Parmigiano Reggiano.
So the next time your veggies taste a little bland, your tomatoes are a little tart, or you whip up a basic béchamel; Think nutmeg in your kitchen.