What Is Mascarpone?
Everything you need to know about this creamy, versatile Italian cheese.
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By Layla Khoury-Hanold for Food Network Kitchen
Layla Khoury-Hanold is a contributor at Food Network.
You may know mascarpone as a key ingredient in the Italian dessert tiramisu or rely on it to add an extra creamy hit to dishes like scrambled eggs or mashed potatoes. But what exactly is it? For more info, we consulted Telia Colella, co-founder of Nerea, an Italian restaurant in New York City.
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What Is Mascarpone?
Mascarpone is a fresh, soft cow’s milk cheese with a lightly sweet, rich flavor that is originally from Northern Italy.
Mascarpone contains 70 to 75% milk fat, giving it a smooth, creamy texture and pale ivory color. Unlike other cheeses, mascarpone is made by coagulating cream (rather than milk) with acid and heating it. “While this particular processing method means that mascarpone isn’t widely considered a 'cheese,' it is technically a cheese under Italian law and regulation,” Colella says.
Mascarpone is a key ingredient in the classic Italian dessert tiramisu, but its delicate flavor and rich, creamy texture lends itself to savory recipes, too. “In Italian cuisine, mascarpone can be used to prepare sauces and dressings for appetizers, such as a three-cheese savory pie or dishes made with vegetables or fish,” Colella says. Mascarpone can also be eaten with fresh fruit or spread on bread.
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Mascarpone vs. Cream Cheese
Although mascarpone is sometimes referred to as Italian cream cheese, they are very different. “The main difference between cream cheese and mascarpone is that cream cheese contains approximately 33% milk fat and 55% moisture, while mascarpone is made entirely of full-fat cream,” Colella says. As a result, mascarpone has a richer, creamier texture while cream cheese tends to be firmer and denser. In addition, mascarpone and cream cheese differ in taste: mascarpone has a slightly sweet flavor while cream cheese is tangier.
Mascarpone vs. Mascarpone Cream
“Mascarpone is the raw material, which is a fresh, soft cheese,” Colella explains. “Mascarpone cream refers to the mixture of egg yolks, sugar and mascarpone. Raw mascarpone has a tackier consistency, while mascarpone cream is lighter and frothier.” Mascarpone cream can be used in desserts, such as a cannoli filling.
Mascarpone Pronunciation
The phonetic pronunciation of mascarpone is “mas-car-POH-nay.”
What Does Mascarpone Taste Like?
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Colella describes mascarpone as tasting delicately sweet and buttery with a slightly acidic aftertaste. Mascarpone has a similar flavor profile to fresh heavy cream.
Substitutes for Mascarpone
Mascarpone has a specific taste, texture and fat content, so Colella doesn’t recommend many direct swaps. But some substitutes for mascarpone include Greek yogurt, creme fraiche and high-quality, fine-curd ricotta. “Ricotta is an ideal substitute for mascarpone especially in desserts—particularly tiramisu—due to its great, creamy quality,” she says.
You can substitute cream cheese for mascarpone in some cases, but keep in mind that the texture won’t be as rich or smooth and that the cream cheese will impart a tangier flavor profile.
Teri Lyn Fisher
Recipes With Mascarpone Cheese
This impressive desserts is easier to make than it looks. Crisp homemade chocolate shells are filled with a simple yet sophisticated milk chocolate mousse that gets its luxurious texture from the addition of mascarpone. It’s all topped with a sculptural shard of swirled candy bark.
A combination of ricotta and mascarpone yields a cheesecake that’s fluffier and lighter than cream cheese-based fillings. The tart-sweet cranberry topping lends an ideal contrast to the earthy, milky filling and a beautiful pop of color.
RYAN DAUSCH
This recipe proves mascarpone’s versatility and ability to play well in savory recipes. Mascarpone lends a rich, velvety consistency to this simple mushroom risotto, and the extra dollop for garnishing adds an extra creamy hit.
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The secret to exceptionally creamy mashed potatoes lies in mashing hot spuds with mascarpone. It’s the kind of culinary prowess that’s guaranteed to wow at your holiday table, so be prepared to share the recipe.
Mascarpone’s versatility knows no seasonal bounds. Here, it’s mixed with flour and eggs and punched up with lemon zest, chives and tarragon to anchor a spring-ready puff pastry tart lined with asparagus spears.
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