Italian Tacos

You can’t buy happiness but you can buy tacos!

These are a little different than your traditional tacos. I did a little fusion and put an Italian twist on them. What I like about these is that the shell is made out of cheese! Crunchy and delicious. I made a nice combination of fillings but you can get creative and come up with your own. These are a great little appetizer and will get your guests talking about them.

ITALIAN TACOS WITH PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO SHELLS

Recipe by Mark Calaminici | Food Loves Company

Makes 6 tacos

Ingredients

120g Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated, 20g each taco

100g cherry tomatoes, chopped or sliced into small pieces

Salt, to taste

Freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Chili flakes, to taste

Dried oregano, to taste

1/2 clove garlic, finely grated or minced

Fresh basil, torn or chiffonade, to taste

Extra virgin olive oil, to taste

Balsamic glaze, to taste

50g pancetta, 1/4 inch thick, sliced into small cubes

Straciatella cheese, to taste

Method

1. In a dry pan on medium to high heat add your grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (20g for each taco )and heat until the cheese starts to melt, bubble and brown. Remove from the heat and as it cools and sets, lift with a spatula. From here you can place over some sort of dowel or rod to help shape the taco shell. Lift over the dowel top side up and mould and shape into a taco shell. Set aside to let cool and set/crisp.

2. In a bowl place tomatoes, garlic, basil and season with salt, freshly cracked pepper, chilli flakes, dried oregano and add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic glaze. Give a mix and set aside.

3. In a frying pan over low-medium heat, add pancetta and cook until it starts to render and get crispy. Once cooked, remove to a plate lined with paper towel. Set aside.

4. Build your tacos by placing some of the tomato mixture in, top with straciatella cheese and garnish with crispy pancetta. Enjoy!