Casatella Trevigiana PDO

History

Casatella Trevigiana owes its name to its humble domestic origins. It derives from household kitchens, where housewives used the scant milk they had available to make good fresh cheese. It was made most of all in winter, when it turned out best – and with a higher fat content. When one family did not have enough milk to make the cheese, they would ask a neighbouring shop to lend them what was needed. In this simple and generous form of solidarity we recognize the beginnings of the future cooperation that in the 20th century became a pillar of Trevigiana cheese production.

Characteristics

The milk can only come from barns in the province of Treviso – the only place where Casatella Trevigiana PDO can be made. Even the creaming, maturing and packing processes must take place in this region. Nothing is excluded – from the production through to transformation – offering maximum security to consumers.
Casatella Trevigiana is a perfect cheese for today, offering a totally modern freshness as well as nutritional benefits – making it totally adapted to modern life.
However, there’s no getting away from an ancient, country feel that comes from the cheese’s delicate milk taste – opportunely deriving from its main ingredient.
The hard cheese is naturally sweet, and ready to eat after a short maturation. Casatella Trevigiana starts as a compact dough that softens as the hours pass, becoming creamier. There is little, if any, rind. As a fresh, soft cheese Casatella Trevigiana should, of course, be conserved in a cool place. It is 100% appropriate to be eaten alone as it stands or in recipes.

Recipe

Cuts of beef stuffed with Casatella Trevigiana PDO on a bed of PGI Treviso red lettuce

Ingredients for 10 people:
• 600 g of PGI Treviso red lettuce
• 400 g of bresaola (cuts of beef)
• 400 g of Casatella Trevigiana PDO
• ½ dl extra virgin olive oil
• ½ dl balsamic vinegar; salt and white pepper

Preparation:
Wash the red lettuce and drain it thoroughly. Distribute it evenly on ten plates and grind the white pepper over the top. Prepare the vinaigrette by mixing the oil with the vinegar with the help of an electronic mixer. You will get a reasonably thick mixture that should be dripped onto each of the plates. Thinly slice the beef in the shape of rose petals, placing a piece of Casatella Trevigiana PDO on the top of each. Finally, place on the garnished salad. If you wish, you may replace balsamic with apple vinegar, or embellish the whole dish by sprinkling sesame or poppy seeds on top.