Obviously healthy eating has come a long way from counting calories and eating the same lunch every day. It’s far more about choosing good ingredients, cooking more from scratch and creating meals that are satisfying enough that you actually want to eat them again

That’s where simple, versatile ingredients really earn their place, and Grana Padano PDO is absolutely one of them.

Beyond its rich, savoury flavour, Grana Padano also brings genuine nutritional benefits. It is naturally rich in high-quality protein – containing ALL 9 amino acids! It’s also an excellent source of calcium, zinc and phosphorous. Plus – perhaps surprisingly – it’s naturally lactose free, thanks to its traditional production method and long ageing process.

Just a small amount adds remarkable depth of flavour, making it easy to build satisfying meals around vegetables, pulses and whole ingredients without relying on heavy sauces or complicated techniques.

These three recipes celebrate exactly that approach. They’re colourful, seasonal and straightforward to prepare, allowing Grana Padano to quietly transform each dish in its own way: adding delicate savoury flakes to vibrant salads or melting naturally into a rustic pesto that coats every piece of pasta.

Made exclusively in Northern Italy’s Po River Valley, Grana Padano has been produced for nearly 1,000 years (first created by Benedictine monks as a way of preserving surplus milk) every wheel is made according to strict Production Specifications and aged for a minimum of nine months before it can receive the fire-branded Grana Padano mark.

Here are three brilliant ways you can make the most of it.

Trofie with Charred Tenderstem Broccoli Pesto & Grana Padano

This is a rustic pesto that celebrates texture as much as flavour. Rather than blending everything until completely smooth, the charred Tenderstem broccoli is finely chopped before being crushed together with toasted flaked almonds, basil and Grana Padano using a pestle and mortar. The result is a coarse, vibrant pesto that clings beautifully to trofie pasta while allowing every ingredient to remain recognisable. Finished with extra flakes of Grana Padano and a gentle heat from chilli, it’s a simple pasta that feels both modern and deeply rooted in Italian cooking.

Tap here for the recipe

Serves: 4

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 320g trofie pasta
  • 2 bunches Tenderstem broccoli
  • 1 small handful fresh basil
  • 40g toasted flaked almonds
  • 60g Grana Padano PDO, finely grated, plus extra flakes to serve
  • 1 small garlic clove
  • 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes, plus extra to finish
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Method

Divide between bowls and finish with extra flakes of Grana Padano, another pinch of chilli flakes and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Bring a large pan of well-salted water to the boil and cook the trofie until al dente.

Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan until very hot and char the Tenderstem broccoli on all sides until lightly blackened and just cooked through.

Finely chop all of the charred Tenderstem.

Using a pestle and mortar, crush the garlic with a pinch of sea salt. Add the basil leaves and pound until broken down.

Add the toasted flaked almonds and continue crushing until roughly chopped.

Stir in the chopped Tenderstem broccoli, the grated Grana Padano, the olive oil and the chilli flakes to create a coarse pesto. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Drain the pasta, reserving a little cooking water.

Toss the trofie with the pesto, adding a splash of the cooking water if necessary to loosen the sauce.

Tomato, Peach, Cannellini Bean & Grana Padano Salad

Ripe tomatoes and peaches are one of summer’s happiest combinations. The sweetness of the fruit meets the gentle acidity of the tomatoes, while creamy cannellini beans make the salad substantial enough for lunch. Grana Padano brings everything together with its savoury, nutty flavour, adding richness without overpowering the freshness of the ingredients. It’s the sort of dish that proves healthy cooking doesn’t need dozens of ingredients—just good ones.

Tap here for the recipe

Serves: 4

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: None

Ingredients

  • 500g mixed heritage tomatoes
  • 2 ripe peaches
  • 1 x 400g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • Small handful basil leaves
  • 40g Grana Padano PDO, shaved into flakes
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Method

Finish with delicate flakes of Grana Padano just before serving.

Cut the tomatoes into wedges or large chunks.

Slice the peaches into similar-sized wedges.

Arrange the tomatoes, peaches and cannellini beans on a large serving platter.

Scatter over the basil leaves.

Season lightly with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil.

Butter Bean Hummus with Fried Courgettes, Mint & Grana Padano

Sometimes the simplest ingredients make the most satisfying meal. Instead of tossing everything together, this recipe begins with a smooth butter bean hummus, brightened with lemon and fresh mint. The creamy base is topped with golden fried courgettes, whole butter beans and generous flakes of Grana Padano, creating a dish with plenty of contrast in both flavour and texture. Rich in fibre from the beans and vegetables, and finished with the protein and calcium naturally found in Grana Padano, it’s an easy lunch or light supper that feels both wholesome and generous.

Tap here for the recipe

Serves: 4

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 x 400g tins butter beans, drained (reserve one handful for garnish)
  • 2 medium courgettes
  • 1 large handful fresh mint leaves
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 50g Grana Padano PDO, shaved into flakes
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Method

Finish with generous flakes of Grana Padano, the remaining mint leaves, a final drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a twist of black pepper.

Reserve a generous handful of the butter beans for the final garnish.

Place the remaining beans into a food processor with most of the mint leaves, the lemon juice, two tablespoons of olive oil, a splash of water, a pinch of salt and plenty of black pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy. Adjust the consistency with a little more water if needed.

Slice the courgettes into rounds approximately 5mm thick.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the courgette slices until golden on both sides and just tender. Remove and lightly season.

Spread the butter bean hummus generously across the base of a large serving plate.

Arrange the fried courgettes over the hummus before scattering over the reserved butter beans.

Bringing Simple Ingredients Together

Good food rarely needs to be complicated. A handful of seasonal vegetables, quality pantry staples and a carefully crafted ingredient like Grana Padano can transform everyday cooking into something genuinely satisfying. Whether shaved generously over colourful salads or stirred into a rustic pasta, Grana Padano brings centuries of Italian craftsmanship together with modern nutritional benefits. Naturally high in protein, rich in calcium and naturally lactose free, it’s an easy way to add both flavour and substance to meals you’ll want to cook again and again.

Discover more recipes, serving ideas and nutritional information on the official Grana Padano website, and follow Grana Padano on Instagram for more seasonal inspiration.