9 Delightful Asiago Cheese Substitutes One Should Really Know

The Asiago is a semi-firm Italian cheese that is made from the milk of a cow. There are two types of Asiago available in the market, which are the aged and fresh. The aged Asiago has a tangy flavor, meanwhile, the fresh Asiago has a little bit of sweet taste.

Asiago is typically used for many dishes that complement for grating cheese such as soups, salad and pasta. I’m sure a lot of you do not have this ingredient in your pantry, that is the main reason why I have made a list of many ingredients that can work as an Asiago cheese substistute.

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Grana Padano

Grana Padano

If you are looking for the aged Asiago and unfortunately cannot find one, then it is highly suggested for you to consider trying the Grana Padano, which is the closest cheese you can be able to substitute. Similar with Asiago, it is a hard-Italian cheese, which can be grated over various kinds of pasta.

The Grana Padano is one of the best alternatives for aged Asiago since they have almost similar sharp taste and grainy texture.This kind of cheese is made from the milk of a whole cow and from unpasteurized skim. Grana Padano becomes aromatic, sharp and complex as it ages.

You can easily find this type of cheese in local gourmet stores near you and sometimes, they can be available in grocery stores.

Read Also: Ricotta Cheese Alternatives

Parmesan Cheese

Parmesan Cheese

You may be confused over the discrepancies between the Parmesan and the Parmigiano-Reggiano. In fact, I either could sometimes think of them interchangeably L’Italo-American, a non-profit organization, differentiated these two types of cheese.

They highlighted that Parmesan denotes the American translation of Parmigiano-Reggiano, which is an Italian term. So, it’s a little expensive since it is made from whole skim milk. This cheese is another type of hard cheese that can possibly be utilized as a grating ingredient for a lot of dishes such as soups, pasta and salads.

Guarantee that you check the packaging if it’s sealed tightly, if ever you want to try purchasing this type of cheese in the market. If the cheese has already been exposed a lot to air, chances are the quality of the cheese may be compromised.

Also, it’s essential to ask your cheese monger if ever the Parmesan cheese that you are buying is legit since there are other products out there that are pure imitations of an original product.

Read More: Feta Cheese Alternatives

Provolone

Provolone

You can make an alternative of fresh Asiago with the help of the Provolone cheese. As a matter of fact, when it comes to sandwiches, fresh Asiago is highly preferred compared to the aged Asiago due to its sweet taste. Also, it could possibly be utilized as an ingredient for cheese bread, similar to this recipe.

Provolone is made from the milk of a cow that originates from the Southern Italy. It also comes in two different kinds like Asiago—Provolone Piccante and Provolone Dolce. Provolone Piccante has a tangy flavor while Provolone Dolce has a sweet flavor.

In comparison, Dolce is most typically produced in the United States of America. You can use provolone as a pizza topping, check this recipe out for some food-spiration. Moreover, you can utilize it as a garlic bread ingredient, such as this recipe here.

Aged Manchego

Aged Manchego

Manchego cheese, which originated from La Mancha, Spain, is another suitable Asiago cheese alternative. This Spanish cheese is made from a sheep’s unpasteurized milk. There are two varieties of Asiago, Manchego—younger and aged.

The type which is best for grating purposes that have a distinct yellow color is the aged Manchego cheese. Meanwhile, the younger variant of the Manchego cheese has a sweet flavor and a less firm.

In contrast between the two varieties of Manchego, the aged variety is deemed to be a more suitable alternative for the aged Asiago most particularly in dishes that need some grated cheese such as salads. If you wish to make your personal Manchego Salad, check out this video.

Dry Jack Cheese

Dry Jack Cheese via New England Cheesemaking

The firmer and aged version of Monterey is the Dry Jack since it has a similar texture with the aged Asiago. Because of this, it becomes a great replacement for grating over soups, salads and pasta. Also, you can grate this cheese over sandwiches and omelettes.

As stated by a cheese expert, Steven Jenkins, Dry Jack does not fall under the category of grana like all Italian cheeses. However, it’s a firm cheese that can be grated beautifully. Grana literally denotes to a class of cheeses that are firm with granular textures. Dry Jack has a richer and creamier flavor if compared with Parmesan.

A Much Sharper Romano

The term “Romano” itself indicates that it originates from the capital of Italy, Rome. Romano cheese is considered as one of the greatest alternatives for Asiago on pasta and pizza. If you are working on recipes that need an aged Asiago, you may replace it with the discrete varieties of Romano Cheese, such as Caprino Romano and Pecorino Romano.

Caprino Romano is made from a goat’s milk while Pecorino comes from the milk of a sheep. Caprino Romano has a taste that’s sharper if compared to Pecorino Romano.

Do you know that you can create your own version of Pecorino Romano at home? If ever you are raising a herd of sheep on your farm, then you can be able to make one by transforming their milk into a Pecorino Romano. To do so, you may follow these procedures in this video.

Nutritional Yeast

Have you heard from your vegan friends about the nutritional yeast? You can typically find this amazing food product in health food shops, particularly in the supplement section. It becomes a very good alternative for recipes that need a drizzle of cheese because of its cheesy and glutamate flavor.

A nutritional yeast is an inactive yeast that can be produced from sugar canes. It’s a healthy replacement for Asiago since it contains protein, B vitamins and low-fat content. Also, it’s safe for those who are allergic to the milk of the cow due to its free from animal products.

You may sprinkle some nutritional yeasts on different meals like pasta, soups and salads. Making the nutritional yeast into Mac and Cheese is one of my all-time favorites. If you’re interested in how this recipe is made, then click this video to know the recipe and procedures.​

A Low-fat Sap Sago

Sap Sago Cheese via 201 Cheeses

Sap Sago is a hard gourmet cheese that comes from Switzerland. It’s made from fenugreek or a flavorful wild clover which commonly grows in the local area, and skim milk It’s best for grating over dishes such as sauces due to its hard texture. The best advantage about this cheese is that it has a low-fat content.

In each 100 grams of Sap sago, it approximately contains 0.8 grams of fat. So, if you are on a low-fat diet, then you may consider replacing Asiago with the Sap sago.

Seasoned Breadcrumbs

Seasoned breadcrumbs are another good replacement for Asiago for pizza toppings. They give that similar firm texture when you grate an aged Asiago all over your pizza.

You must not confuse this with Panko since breadcrumbs could be made with various kinds of bread while Panko can purely be made with white bread. You can purchase seasoned breadcrumbs, particularly at the grocery stores. Or if you want to experiment, then you can make it at home and follow this recipe. Watch this video to know how this can be done.

​Conclusion

So, those are my list of possible alternatives of Asiago cheese. You can choose from any of these choices according to your own preferences and needs. Thus, have you already decided what Asiago cheese alternative you will use next time?

Asiago Cheese

I personally find knowing this list important since it provides me with some options to choose aside from Asiago. Now I know that there are many Italian cheeses you can replace for Asiago.

Let me know if you’ve enjoyed this list by commenting and sharing this list to your friends and family who’s in love with cheese!