Mascarpone, the fluffy, spreadable cheese that originated southwest of Milan, Italy, is best known for its much-appreciated presence in Tiramisￃﾹ. It's also used as a creamy ingredient in sponge cakes, tarts, cupcakes, and other desserts. Its delicate flavor and texture is so perfect for desserts that it's easy to forget that mascarpone is, after all, a cheese, and can be used to enrich a number of dinner recipes, from pastas to soups.
The ingredient, which is believed to have been created in the 16th century, has traditionally been used to thicken risottos and pastas. But pasta isn't the only dinner recipe that can benefit from mascarpone! We suggest using it as a spread, or to amp up mashed potatoes.
Below, you'll find 12 mascarpone dinner recipes to help you reconsider the ingredient so closely associated with desserts: