Whipped Mortadella and Parmigiano Cheese Bites/Spuma di Mortadella e Parmigiano Reggiano

Name: Whipped Mortadella and Parmigiano Cheese Bites/ Spuma di Mortadella e Parmigiano Reggiano
Ingredients: 1/4 pound sliced mortadella with peppercorns; 4 ounces mascarpone cheese at room temperature; 3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese; 1 tablespoon milk; 2 large sweet red bell peppers or two large ripe Anjou pears; 1/4 cup finely chopped pistachio nuts; Ingredients

Spuma means whipped and a spuma of mortadella and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese makes the perfect light spread for sweet red pepper slices or slices of ripe pears. Mortadella is a cooked pork sausage from the region of Emilia Romagna that is studded with chunks of creamy white fat and black peppercorns, not pistachios! It is usually served in chunks as part of an antipasto but is delicious when made into a paste for spreading on vegetables and fruits as part of a new way to serve it as an antipasto.

Serves 8

Ingredients

1/4 pound sliced mortadella with peppercorns
4 ounces mascarpone cheese at room temperature
3 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 tablespoon milk
2 large sweet red bell peppers or two large ripe Anjou pears
1/4 cup finely chopped pistachio nuts
Ingredients

Directions

Grind the mortadella in a food processor until it is in coarse bits. Add the mascarpone cheese and process until a paste forms. Add milk to smooth out mixture. Transfer the paste to a bowl and stir in the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Season with salt to taste. Set aside.
Cut the peppers or pears lengthwise and remove the seeds and stems. Cut the peppers into 1-inch pieces or the pears into 1/4-inch thick slices.
With a small spoon spread about two teaspoons of the spuma on the peppers or pears. Sprinkle with the nuts. Arrange the slices on a serving dish. Serve room temperature.
Also can use the spuma as for bruschetta.

This recipe was featured on Season 24 - Episode 2419.