One of Italy's most beloved cheeses, provolone is actually quite closely related to mozzarella in the sense that both are pulled curd cheeses. Whilst mozzarella is served youthful and bouncy, provolone is brined and aged (and sometimes even smoked), giving it a much bolder flavour.

Like mozzarella, provolone melts really well, which makes it great in sandwiches, as well as with pizza and pasta. Ilario Vinciguerra puts a unique twist on a classic combination of flavours with his Tomato tortelli, water of smoked provolone cheese and basil crisps recipe, while Francesco Sposito goes for something more left-field with his Fettuccine with sea bream tartare and black truffle.

Meanwhile, Ernesto Iaccarino uses provolone as a filling for squid in his Provolone and ricotta-stuffed squid with yellow pepper sauce and Antonella la Macchia pairs provolone with cauliflower in her Fried cod with cauliflower 'affogato'.

You may come across provolone dolce and provolone piccante – the latter is stronger with a sharpness on the palate, whilst the former is milder and nutty. Although provolone is produced all over Europe the best comes from northern Italy, particularly around Naples, where the cheese first originated. Check out our full collection of provolone recipes below.