Cheese of the Week: Pecorino Romano

Pecorino Romano (or sometimes just called Romano) is the workhorse of Italian cheeses. Not as revered and expensive as Parmigiano-Reggiano, it is a cheese to buy in large chunks and keep in the fridge for grating over pasta and other dishes.

"Pecora" means sheep in Italian, therefore all Italian cheese made with sheeps' milk is called Pecorino. Pecorino Romano was originally made near Rome, Pecorino Tuscano is made in Tuscany...you get the picture. Out of all the Italian Pecorinos, Pecorino Romano is the one I am most likely to cook with. It's not quite elegant enough in flavor to put on a cheese plate and it's often quite salty, which makes it not as good for snacking but perfect for cooking.

Try making pesto with a blend of Parmigiano-Reggiano and Romano, or just use Romano.