Pecorino Cheese
Pecorino is a family of hard Italian sheep's milk cheeses, with Pecorino Romano as the most famous, known for a sharper, saltier bite than cow's milk hard cheeses like parmesan.
How to buy
Look for Pecorino Romano DOP for the classic sharp, salty grating cheese used in Roman pasta dishes, or Pecorino Toscano for a milder cheese that can be eaten younger as a table cheese. Check the rind, often waxed in black or straw color, and buy a wedge to grate fresh rather than relying on pre-grated tubs.
How to store
Wrap the cut face in cheese paper and refrigerate. A well-wrapped wedge keeps for weeks to a couple of months thanks to its low moisture. Pre-grated pecorino dries out and loses aroma quickly, so grate only what's needed just before using it.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Sharp, salty, and tangy with a distinct sheep's-milk gaminess that's more assertive than parmesan. Younger pecorino is milder and nuttier, while aging intensifies the bite considerably.
- Texture
- Hard and dense, with a slightly grainier, drier crumble than parmesan; it grates into coarser, more clumping strands.
- Aroma
- A sharp, tangy, faintly animalic aroma from the sheep's milk, more pronounced than cow's-milk hard cheeses.
How to prepare
- Grated — Finely grated over pasta dishes like cacio e pepe and carbonara for a sharp, salty finish.
- Shaved — Sliced thin for antipasto plates, often paired with honey or fava beans.
- Baked — Worked into savory biscuits and crackers for a sharp, salty bite.
- Fried — Sliced and lightly fried until the outside crisps for a simple snack (pecorino fritto).
Classic dishes
Italian
- Cacio e pepe — A Roman pasta dish of just pecorino, black pepper, and pasta water emulsified into a silky sauce.
- Spaghetti alla carbonara — A pasta dish of egg, guanciale, and black pepper, traditionally finished with grated pecorino.
- Bucatini all'Amatriciana — A tomato and guanciale pasta sauce topped with sharp grated pecorino.
- Pasta alla gricia — A simple Roman pasta of guanciale, black pepper, and pecorino, considered a precursor to amatriciana.
- Pecorino and fava bean salad — A traditional Roman spring pairing of fresh fava beans and shaved pecorino.
- Pecorino and honey antipasto — Slices of pecorino served with a drizzle of honey to balance the cheese's salt.
- Pesto alla genovese — A basil and pine nut sauce often blending pecorino with parmesan for extra sharpness.
- Roman-style braised artichokes — Artichokes braised with herbs, sometimes finished with a dusting of grated pecorino.
- Pecorino-stuffed ravioli — Fresh pasta parcels filled with a pecorino-based cheese and herb mixture.
- Panzanella with shaved pecorino — A bread and tomato salad finished with shavings of pecorino.
- Pecorino and black pepper crackers — Savory crackers flavored heavily with grated pecorino and cracked pepper.
- Risotto finished with pecorino — Risotto stirred with grated pecorino off the heat for a sharper finish than parmesan gives.
- Pecorino and pear plate — A simple cheese course pairing sliced pecorino with ripe pear.
- Minestra with pecorino rind — A vegetable soup deepened by simmering a pecorino rind in the broth.
- Pecorino fritto — Slices of pecorino lightly fried until the outside crisps and browns.
- Sheep's milk cheese plate with pane carasau — Sardinian flatbread served alongside pecorino as a simple, rustic pairing.
Substitutions
- Parmesan Cheese — Milder and less salty since it's made from cow's milk; use a bit more to match pecorino's punch.