pavane wrote:
>
> It is a bit self-serving but this shows the proper method
> and proper tools for opening the cheese.
>
> http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/parmigianoreggiano/

That's what I buy (depite the nefarious reputation
of John Mackey), and I eat some of it raw and
some of it melted on pasta. Sheldon says that's
a waste, but I disagree. There is no other melted
cheese which is like genuine Parmigiano Reggiano.
Good stuff, both raw and melted.

I usually boil the pasta till done, then dump most
but not all of the water, put the cheese on top,
put the lid on the pot, and return it to the
stovetop (which was earlier turned off). The
residual heat then steams the cheese, melting it.
After a minute or so, I take the pasta off the
stove, and transfer it to a plate or bowl.
I may add a little salt and pepper, but that's
basicly how I make a quick pasta dish when
I'm hungry and don't have time for anything
more elaborate.

A good smoked mozzarella would be a good substitute,
but I haven't been able to find that recently.
When I did have access to that, I would sometimes
cover half the pasta with PR and the other half
with SM, so I could alternate bites of each.

Sometimes I'd put bits of prosciutto or crisp-
fried bacon on top, but that's not at all
necessary.