Pecorino

American  

[pek-uh-ree-noh] / ˌpɛk əˈri noʊ /

noun

plural

Pecorinos, Pecorini

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. )

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

On Nov. 25, 2025, Ambriola Company, a New Jersey-based importer and distributor of Italian cheeses, recalled more than 11,500 units of grated pecorino romano cheese products after routine testing revealed the presence of Listeria monocytogenes.

From Salon

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

There’s a pecorino plum crumble, for instance, and a gouda apple galette, combinations that sound mischievous until you taste how naturally they click.

From Salon

The recipe also listed four ingredients - spaghetti, black pepper, parmesan and butter and suggested double cream as an option - when there should only be three: spaghetti, black pepper and pecorino cheese.

From BBC