Frederic Melton
Pecorino Romano is a hard, salty Italian cheese made from sheep's milk. It is often used for grating over pasta or other dishes. The name 'pecorino' means 'ovine' or 'of sheep' in Italian. The cheese is produced almost everywhere in Italy, and there are several types of pecorino cheese, each with unique characteristics. The freshest cheese made using sheep's milk is ricotta di pecora. Ricotta Salata, on the other hand, is made from the whey part of sheep's milk, which is pressed, salted, and aged for at least 90 days. It is often used in salads and can be sliced, crumbled, or grated.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Cheese | Hard, semi-hard, or fresh |
| Region | Italy, especially Tuscany, Lazio, Sardinia, and Sicily |
| Texture | Crumbly |
| Taste | Salty, tangy |
| Colour | Milky white |
| Uses | Grating, shaving, slicing, crumbling, salads, pasta dishes, or eaten on its own |
| Pairings | Italian wines |
| Manufacturing | Made from sheep's milk, sometimes with the addition of ewe milk, and lamb rennet paste |
| Aging | In clay jars, cotton, porous volcanic rock, caves, or other underground spaces |
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Grated over pasta
Pecorino Romano is a hard, salty Italian cheese made from sheep's milk. It is often used for grating over pasta or other dishes. The name 'pecorino' means 'ovine' or 'of sheep' in Italian. The cheese originated in Lazio, but most of its production has moved to the island of Sardinia.
Pecorino Romano is one of Italy's oldest cheeses, dating back to Roman times. Pliny the Elder and Varro wrote about this cheese around 2,000 years ago. It was often given to Roman soldiers during wartimes as it would last a long time and was easy to digest. The daily allotment per soldier was 27 grams, along with some bread and farro.
Pecorino Romano has a distinctive, tangy flavour and a crumbly texture. It is often grated, shaved, or simply eaten on its own. It pairs well with Italian wines. The characteristics of Pecorino cheese vary depending on the regional topography, the length of the aging period, and the specific cheese-making techniques used.
When used as a pasta topping, Pecorino Romano is the star of the dish. Its salty and tangy flavour makes it perfect for a cacio e pepe or super-rich carbonara. It is also used in other Italian pasta dishes such as bucatini all'amatriciana, spaghetti alla carbonara, pasta alla gricia, and spaghetti alla cacio e pepe (where it is a main ingredient).
The sharpness of Pecorino Romano varies with its maturation, which ranges from five months for a table cheese to eight months or longer for a grating cheese. It is produced from raw or thermized ewe's milk inoculated with a natural starter culture and lamb rennet paste. The milk is heated to 37-39°C for 14-16 minutes, after which the coagulum is cut and left to settle for 2-3 minutes. The mixture is then cooked at 45-46°C, and after 30 minutes, the curds are moulded, pressed, and drilled to facilitate whey drainage. The cheeses are dry-salted periodically for 30-60 days and ripened at 10-14°C for 5-8 months.
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Eaten on its own
Pecorino Romano is a hard, salty Italian cheese made from sheep's milk. It is often used for grating over pasta or other dishes. The name 'pecorino' means 'ovine' or 'of sheep' in Italian. The cheese is known for its versatility and can be grated, shaved, or simply eaten on its own. It pairs well with Italian wines.
Pecorino Romano is one of Italy's oldest cheeses, with production methods described by Latin authors such as Marcus Terentius Varro and Pliny the Elder about 2,000 years ago. It was a staple in the diet of Roman legions due to its long shelf life and high energy content. Today, it is still produced according to the original recipe and is often the star of the dish rather than a garnish, as is the case with Parmesan.
Pecorino Romano has a distinctive, tangy flavour and a crumbly texture. Its sharpness is influenced by its maturation, which can range from five months for a table cheese to eight months or longer for a grating cheese. The cheese is typically made with raw or thermized sheep's milk inoculated with a natural starter culture derived from the residual whey of ricotta cheese production. It is then cut, cooked, and moulded into cylindrical shapes before being dry-salted and ripened.
When eaten on its own, Pecorino Romano can be enjoyed as a salty and tangy snack, paired with Italian wines, or as part of a cheese plate or platter. Its firm texture makes it ideal for slicing, and its salty taste can add a savoury dimension to a meal. While it can be eaten on its own, it is also delicious when grated or shaved, allowing it to melt into dishes and enhance their flavour.
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In salads
Pecorino Romano is a strong-flavoured Italian cheese made from sheep's milk. It is characterised by its salty, flakey, dense, and grainy texture. Its salty flavour makes it ideal for pairing with bitter salad leaves such as radicchio, arugula, and endive. To balance the bitterness of the leaves, a mildly sweet and garlicky dressing can be added. Walnuts can also be added to the salad to bring in some umami.
Pecorino Romano can be used in salads interchangeably with Parmesan. It can be grated, crumbled, or shaved over salads. It can also be melted into a cheese sauce.
Ricotta Salata, a variety of Italian cheese made from sheep's milk whey, is another option from the Pecorino family that can be used in salads. It is often grated or crumbled over salads. It has a firm texture and a salty taste.
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With bread
Pecorino is a versatile Italian cheese made from sheep's milk. The word "pecora" means "sheep" in Italian. It is produced almost everywhere in Italy, with each region having its own unique variety. Pecorino Romano, for example, is the variety most North Americans are familiar with, originating in ancient Rome in the Lazio region and now mainly produced in Sardinia. Pecorino Toscano, on the other hand, originates from Grosseto and Siena in Tuscany and has a less salty, subtly nutty flavor.
Pecorino is a wonderful grating cheese to sprinkle over pasta, soup, vegetables, or meatballs. It can also be melted in a cheese sauce or cut into slices or wedges to enjoy with bread, crackers, nuts, and sliced deli meat.
Warm, toasted buttered rye bread with shaved pecorino
This combination is suggested by a user on Reddit. The warmth of the toasted bread and the butter create a delicious base for the sharp and salty pecorino.
Raviggiolo on Tuscan bread
Raviggiolo is a type of Tuscan cheese with a light flavor and creamy texture. It is often spread on a piece of Tuscan bread and drizzled with local olive oil. Being a fresh cheese, it is seasonal and should be eaten within 3-4 days for the best flavor.
Pecorino Siciliano with rustic bread and red wine
Pecorino Siciliano is a semi-hard white cheese produced in Sicily. It has a tangy and slightly spicy flavor that is milder and less salty than Romano. It is excellent for grating and pairing with rustic bread and red wine.
Pecorino Romano with bread
Pecorino Romano has been a staple since Roman times. It was often given to Roman soldiers during wartimes as it had a long shelf life. Each soldier received a daily allotment of 27 grams of cheese along with bread and farro. Shepherds would also carry Pecorino Romano with them when they took their livestock to the mountains to graze, eating it with bread or grating it on top of pasta. Today, grated Pecorino Romano can be sprinkled on bread as a salty condiment.
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As part of a cheese plate
Pecorino Romano is a hard, salty Italian cheese made from sheep's milk. It is the most well-known variety of Pecorino, which is a catch-all term for any Italian cheese made entirely from sheep's milk. Other varieties include Pecorino Sardo, Pecorino Toscano, Pecorino Crotonese, Pecorino di Filiano, Pecorino di Picinisco, Pecorino Siciliano, and Pecorino di Amatrice.
Pecorino Romano is a versatile cheese that can be grated over pasta or other dishes, shaved, or eaten on its own. Its salty notes make it a great addition to cheese boards, offering a savoury contrast to sweeter accompaniments like figs or honey. Its distinctive flavour makes it a preferred choice for Italian pasta dishes such as bucatini all'amatriciana, spaghetti alla carbonara, pasta alla gricia, and spaghetti alla cacio e pepe.
Pecorino Toscano is another variety that pairs well with cheese plates. Younger Pecorino Toscano is a popular table cheese, with a delicate nuttiness that goes well with honey, fig, or pear. Mature Pecorino Toscano is harder and more complex, and can be grated over pasta, soup, or risotto as a substitute for Parmigiano Reggiano.
Pecorino Sardo is the only cheese from the Pecorino family that is smoked. Young Pecorino Sardo is aged for just 40 days and is sweeter, making it perfect for making pesto. More mature versions are aged for at least six months, developing a sharper flavour. Aged Pecorino Sardo can hold its own as part of a cheeseboard.
Pecorino cheeses vary in texture and flavour depending on where they are produced and how long they are aged. They are typically classified as granular, hard, and sharply flavoured, but can also be semi-hard or fresh. The more matured cheeses, referred to as stagionato, are harder but still crumbly, with buttery and nutty flavours. The other two types, semi-stagionato and fresco, have a softer texture and milder cream and milk tastes.
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Frequently asked questions
Pecorino is an Italian cheese made from sheep's milk. It is known for its distinctive, tangy flavor and crumbly texture. Ricotta is made in several Italian regions, including Tuscany, and is made with sheep's milk.
Pecorino is often grated, shaved, or eaten on its own. It is used in pasta dishes, such as bucatini all'amatriciana, spaghetti alla carbonara, pasta alla gricia, and cacio e pepe. It is also used in salads and pairs well with Italian wines.
Ricotta is made from the whey part of sheep's milk, whereas pecorino is made from sheep's milk directly. Ricotta is softer than pecorino and is often used in dishes such as lasagne.
Pecorino is made from raw or thermized sheep's milk, inoculated with a natural starter culture. It is then coagulated with lamb rennet paste and cut into curds, which are pressed and drilled to facilitate whey drainage. The cheeses are dry-salted and ripened for several months.
