The first time I had frico, I was living with friends of friends outside of Florence, Italy. We were sitting on a patio overlooking the olive groves, sipping a crisp local white wine, when the hostess put down a plate of crisp lacy frico. I will never forget how perfectly delicious the crispy parmesan cheese with a generous sprinkle of black pepper tasted in that setting with that wine. Food can be a flavor memory that transports us in a single bite to another time and place; this recipe does that for me.
This simple cheesy cracker comes together in minutes, and the ingredients are often already in the refrigerator. I like to use a combination of Parmesan and pecorino and always freshly ground pepper. Perfect with a glass of wine before a nice dinner.
Parmesan Cheese and Black Pepper Frico
Ingredients
- ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan about 2 ounces
- ¾ cup freshly grated pecorino cheese about 2 ounces
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or non-stick baking mats.
- In a medium bowl, gently toss together the cheeses.
- Arrange heaping tablespoon-size mounds of the cheese mixture on the baking sheets, spacing them at least ½ inch apart. Using your fingers, gently pat down each pile to flatten. The cheese will melt into a lacy web. Grind pepper over each mound.
- Bake until golden and crisp, 4 to 6 minutes. Cool on the baking sheets until set and firm, then gently transfer to a serving plate using a spatula.
Kristen Coffield
I am a passionate advocate for food as medicine, life navigator and culinary coach. This is my space for sharing what excites, inspires and motivates me to live my best life. It began as a recipe blog for nourishing, simple, weekday meals and has become something much bigger… a guide to resilient wellness. I am excited to share my knowledge of how daily habits can cumulatively help you to live like you mean it and age like you want to.
