Healthy Parmesan Cheese Recipes

Chef Fabio Viviani, of Siena Tavern in Chicago, shines a bright light on Brussels sprouts with this side dish. In this Brussels sprouts salad recipe, the sharpness of the sprouts gets tamed with honey, toasted almonds and shaved Parmesan cheese. It comes together in about 20 minutes--you can thinly slice the Brussels sprouts with a knife or mandoline, but it's overkill for weeknights. A food processor with a slicing blade will give you pro results. Or grab a bag of shredded Brussels sprouts from your supermarket.

Created by chef Fabio Viviani of Siena Tavern in Chicago, this Amatriciana sauce is a classic of modern Roman cooking (though it most likely came from the town of Amatrice about 90 miles away). Typically, it's made with few ingredients: garlic, guanciale (cured pork jowl), cheese and tomato. This version doctors up jarred sauce to keep it quick and calls for easy-to-find pancetta in place of the guanciale. This tomato sauce is sometimes paired with bucatini; here, Fabio dresses up rigatoni with it.

Cook and activist Mable Clarke serves this craveable side dish at the monthly fish fry she started to save the Soapstone Baptist Church in South Carolina. While the cheese crackers may draw you in, it's the baked tomatoes that keep you coming back for more. When she's cooking for hundreds of guests at the fish fry, Clarke uses canned tomatoes and green chiles for this dish. Since you're likely not cooking for 400, we adapted the recipe to use fresh tomatoes.

James Beard Award-winner and Top Chef contestant Karen Akunowicz of Fox & the Knife in Boston turns this Italian-inspired bread salad into a hearty fall dish. Instead of tomato, fennel mingles with the vinaigrette to let the bread soak up its licorice notes, while the arugula lends the dish a hint of pepper. The lemony vinaigrette is so simple and tastes so much fresher than store-bought. Make a double batch to toss on other salads. It will keep in the fridge for up to a week. Add some shredded chicken to the salad to make it a meal.

Fire-roasted tomatoes add slightly smoky flavor to red lentils. The addition of mashed potatoes gives this an upside-down shepherd's pie feel.

Curly fries get a makeover by using summer squash in place of potatoes. Summer squash "noodles" are tossed in a panko mixture spiked with lemon, garlic powder and Parmesan cheese and baked until crispy. If you can't find summer squash noodles, make your own using a spiralizer or vegetable peeler.

Got garden-fresh tomatoes? This simple vegetarian pasta is a great place to use them up. Both large tomatoes and cherry tomatoes work well. The addition of sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese elevates the flavor, while a drizzle of sweet balsamic glaze at the end adds a sweet note.

The cheesy flavor and crispy crust on these eggplant "fries" is just like fried eggplant Parmesan, but with a fraction of the oil. They're the perfect appetizer for Italian night! Dip these crispy fries into a big hot bowl of your favorite marinara.

These can't-stop-at-one healthy crackers are like cheesy shortbread cookies. The texture is slightly crisp on the edges and a bit tender in the center.

This cold pesto pasta salad will cool you off on a summer day. Fresh tomatoes and roasted red peppers add a pop of bright color and juiciness here, but any of your favorite pasta-salad veggies, like blanched broccoli and fresh bell peppers, would be delicious too.

This breaded eggplant is baked to perfection with a crunchy outside and soft interior. It's wonderful dipped in marinara. If you want to elevate it further, add a sweet and tangy drizzle of balsamic glaze and a sprinkle of fresh basil leaves.

Crispy, buttery, cheesy, garlicky potatoes--what else could you ask for? Serve these melt-in-your-mouth potatoes alongside steak, pork chops, chicken or fish. If you have leftovers, throw them into a breakfast scramble the next morning.

This delicious, cheesy, full-flavored pesto-stuffed spaghetti squash is hearty and filling, full of vegetables and topped with melted fresh mozzarella cheese. It's a perfect main dish for vegetarians and nonvegetarians alike!

This dish is an easy way to turn grilled vegetables into a satisfying meal, thanks to hearty whole-grain pasta and a quick homemade pesto.

Turkey pepperoni, olives and diced tomato fill these stuffed zucchini boats. Ricotta and melted mozzarella cheese make this a fun twist on pizza without all the carbs.

Think of these zucchini pizza bites as a fun gluten-free alternative to bagel bites. Be sure not to overcook the zucchini or the bites may become soggy. We like the classic pepperoni topping, but feel free to experiment with your own favorites.

The sauce for this pasta dish is just cheese and pepper (aka cacio e pepe in Italian). Try this with kids as a simple yet sophisticated alternative to standard mac and cheese. Lots of black pepper adds a touch of heat, priming picky palates for spicier food.

This easy vegetarian meal gets a double hit of umami from mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes. Grill some crusty bread, then rub it with garlic and drizzle it with olive oil to serve alongside these stuffed portobello mushrooms.

This fresh and bright cold shrimp pasta salad features classic shrimp scampi flavors. Lemon and Dijon mustard brighten the dressing, and asparagus adds a nice crunch. Farfalle pasta works well with this dish, but any medium pasta shape will work.

A tangy, balsamic dressing and nutty Parmesan cheese combine to coat tender roasted vegetables and chickpeas in this springy vegetarian dinner. To keep it vegetarian, serve it over quinoa or, for meat-eaters, serve with roasted chicken or pan-seared fish.