This is NOT my recipe. Let me start by saying that right up front. I had the huge pleasure of dining at Bottega Restaurant in Napa Valley about 8 years ago and this was served at the beginning of the meal with warm, crusty Italian bread. That was it…I feel in love and immediately hunted down the recipe and started making this not only for my family but also as gifts for friends and coworkers. This has got to be one of the most delicious condiments I have ever had. If you are familiar with celebrity chef, Michael Chiarello, the chef and owner of the restaurant, then you know the quality of his food. This is his recipe and needs to be shared with the world.
I have to stop right there because I’m not sure you can call this a condiment? It’s put on bread at the beginning of a meal much like you’d add butter or dip your bread in good olive oil. I’ve served it on crostini all by itself as an appetizer, or topped with shrimp or vegetables. I’ve used it as a pasta sauce and as a salad dressing. Honestly, you could drink this straight up and just be a very happy girl. (Yes, it is that good).
You must use good quality cheese. Don’t be using that prepackaged cheese in a tub (it won’t work). Go to your cheese shop and buy the “good stuff” with the rinds on the cheese. Save those rinds in your freezer so when you are making sauce or soup, you can add a cheese rind for an extra punch of flavor. But use the best and freshest cheese for this recipe.
Get ready to fall in love with this. Stock up on your gift giving jars and cute wrapping (The holidays are right around the corner) and get ready for the most exciting thing to happen to your taste buds in years.
To make this, start by removing the rind from the cheeses. (Save them in freezer bags in your freezer and use them to flavor soups and sauces.) Then, chop the cheese into one-inch chunks and put them in your food processor with the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and pulse until reduced to the size of very tiny peas.
Add the green onion, olive oil and black pepper and pulse again. Put in a large jar or bowl and cover. Let stand at room temperature for at least four hours to let all those flavors come together. There is nothing like this and when spread on a warm loaf of bread straight from the oven, you’ll think you died and went to heaven.
A shout out to Michael Chiarello the chef and owner of Bottega Restaurant. Thank you for sharing this with all of us. I trust you don’t mind me continuing the art of passing around a great recipe.
Are you looking for other special condiments, sauces or “extras” to really make your meal pop? I have a few other recipes definitely worth exploring. They are unique and go with so many applications, that’s it worth the time to explore. Check these out:
Cranberry and Elderberry Sauce
Hatch Chili Salsa with Peaches
Salsa di Parmigiano
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1/2 Lb. Parmesan cheese in block form
- 1/2 Lb. Asiago cheese a fresh wedge
- 2 Tsps. Minced garlic
- 2 Tsp. Dried oregano
- 1 Tsp. Calabrian chili pepper flakes
- 2 Tbsp. Chopped green onion
- 1 1/2 Cups Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Tsp. Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Remove any rind from the cheeses (save those rinds in the freezer to use when making soups, stocks and sauce). Chop the cheeses into 1-inch chunks. Place the cheese in a food processor with the garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and pulse until reduced to the size of tiny peas.
- Add the green onion, olive oil and black pepper and pulse again. Cover and let stand at room temperature for at least 4 hours before using.
