Pairings: Cheese

Magnifico! Italian-born with traces of fruits and nuts. Parmesan regularly chooses graters as dance partners to sprinkle flavor over pastas, pizzas and soups. Now gently top off your Spaghetti Squash with Sausage & Kale with a generous helping—yes, simply to die for.

Sharp and sweet made it work here. A bridge of sorts, well-aged and boasting caramelly, nutty and buttery flavors few will pass up. Probably no surprise that the melty nature of gouda makes a dream sidekick for One Pot Pork Mac ‘n’ Cheese.

Creamy sister to its more popular sibling, Swiss cheese. Anticipate a waterfall of flavors splashing down, from nutty to earthy to fruity. Should be no surprise whatsoever that baking Gruyére into Chard & Gruyére Stuffed Pork Tenderloin is an unforgettable Renaissance of flavors.

Creamy, saltier mixture. Flavor fans, be prepared for a brilliant mash-up of cheesecake-like texture against buttermilk tang with citrus caught right in the middle. The fair share of acidity in Humboldt Fog declares this cheese the clear winner as part of Pork Croissants with Humboldt Fog.

Complex sums it up. Wrapped in sycamore leaves, this Spanish blue cheese collects hints of tobacco, vanilla and sometimes chocolate as it ages. It’s pure intensity for the brave, and this spicy wild card eggs on fearless souls to give Root Beer Pulled Pork Crostini a run.