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• Pecorino
  Pecorino

  noun

  a dry, hard Italian cheese made of ewe's milk, especially Romano.
• pecorino
  pecorino

  noun

  an Italian cheese made from ewes' milk

Pecorino

American  

[pek-uh-ree-noh] / ˌpɛk əˈri noʊ /

noun

Pecorinos, plural Pecorini plural

1. (often lowercase) a dry, hard Italian cheese made of ewe's milk, especially Romano.

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pecorino British  

/ ˌpɛkəˈriːnəʊ /

noun

1. an Italian cheese made from ewes' milk

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Etymology

Origin of Pecorino

First recorded in 1905–10; from Italian: literally, “(cheese) of ewes,” from adjective pecorino, from pecora “sheep, ewe” + -ino, from Late Latin pecorīnus “relating to sheep,” from Latin pecus (stem pecor- ) “farm animals, livestock” + -īnus adjective suffix; akin to fief ( def. ); -ine ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

Pecorino is a hard Italian cheese that tastes similar to Parmesan. Unlike that more widely-known cheese, pecorino is made from sheep's milk. Instead of grating Parmesan on your spaghetti, you could use pecorino instead. It's also crumbly and salty, but because it's not aged as long, pecorino is a bit softer and has less of Parmesan's nutty sweetness. Some people also detect a slight tanginess in the flavor of pecorino, probably because it's made from the milk of sheep, rather than cows. Pecorino derives from pecora, Italian for "sheep."

Example Sentences

Chavez points to cacio e pepe, a rather simple yet rich dish that calls for spaghetti, olive oil, coarsely ground black pepper, salt, butter and Pecorino Romano.

From Salon • Feb. 26, 2026

Once the dough had risen, I rolled it into a rectangle, spread on a thin layer of the miso-béchamel, showered it with Parmesan, Pecorino Romano and a very healthy amount of black pepper.

From Salon • Nov. 12, 2025

Sheep milk is too rich in fat and protein for most to drink but creates delectable cheese such as Manchego, Pecorino and feta.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 16, 2023

“Tell me your feelings about pecorino,” I said, and they both started laughing, and then said that they have an imaginary rat mascot named Pecorino who helps them out, “Ratatouille”-style.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 23, 2023

Kibitzers complain that some of the cheaper types of Pecorino are soapy, but fans give it high praise.

From The Complete Book of Cheese by Brown, Robert Carlton