- By Michelle Minnaar
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A delicious Italian cheese with a distinct nutty, slightly salty flavor, Pecorino cheese is delicious – either on its own or served with fruit nuts or a glass of red. However, when a recipe calls for Pecorino, and you don't have any, what's a cheese lover to do?
This article looks at the best substitutes for Pecorino cheese to cover you for every situation.
What is Pecorino Cheese?
It's a special variety of Italian sheep's milk cheese. In fact, the Italian word pecorino means "of sheep" in English. Pecorino is a protected type of cheese that has to be made in a certain way within a certain region to gain DOP (Denominazione di Origine Protetta) status.
Pecorino cheese can be young or mature – usually aged between 8 to 12 months. The younger cheeses, known as semi-mature and fresh (semi-stagionato and fresco), are soft and milder. However, mature Pecorino (stagionato) is hard and crumbly, with a salty, nutty taste.
You'll also notice a slightly spicy, smoky undertone with Pecorino, particularly as it ages. This gives it an interesting flavor profile and makes pairing it with other flavors a delight.
Different Types of Pecorino Cheese
There are many varieties of pecorino cheese, a DOP cheese (Denominazione di Origine Protetta) or Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status under EU law. Here are four of the most popular:
Pecorino Romano
The most well-known type of Pecorino cheese, Pecorino Romano, is mainly produced on the island of Sardinia, despite the name. However, as the name suggests, this cheese goes all the way back to the Romans. The Rome district of Lazio is still a major production zone.
Pecorino Sardo
Although Pecorino Sardo is also produced on the island of Sardinia, it has a distinctly different flavor from Pecorino Romano. It's younger and milder, with a softer texture. However, as Pecorino Sardo is aged with a natural rind, it also picks up some earthy flavors – that farmyard, almost mushroom flavor that adds a whole new dimension.
Pecorino Toscano
This is the version of pecorino produced and sold in the Tuscany region of Italy. It's generally milder, softer, and less mature than the popular Romano version, with a slightly grassy flavor.
Pecorino Siciliano
Made in Sicily, Pecorino Siciliano is slightly less salty than Pecorino Romano and is often flavored with peppercorns.
The 6 Best Pecorino Cheese Substitutes
Maybe you've run out of Pecorino cheese and want to bring that final flourish of flavor to the top of your baked pasta dish. Or, you want to keep some for everyday cooking but can't find it for love or money.
Or, you're looking for the perfect vegan alternative.
Whatever the situation, there's a Pecorino substitute out there. Here are six of the best for topping all kinds of pasta and salads or enjoying with nuts, fruits, and a glass of red.
Parmesan, otherwise known by its full name – Parmigiano Reggiano – is probably the most suitable pecorino cheese substitute, especially Pecorino Romano. Like pecorino, it's a PDO cheese – protected under EU law to ensure the highest quality ingredients and traditional production methods are used.
The name parmesan is used outside these regions, but the cheese-making process is similar. Parmesan has a minimum aging time of 12 months. The longer it is aged, the more its standard sharp and nutty flavor comes through.
The nutty, salty, slightly fruity taste makes it an ideal replacement, particularly when grating and flavoring any hearty Italian dish, such as lasagna, cannelloni, pasta, or stew.
This famous Spanish cheese, produced in Spain's La Mancha region, is also made from sheep's milk, making it an ideal Pecorino cheese substitute. This gives it a similar mild nutty flavor to pecorino, although manchego is quite buttery with a slightly sweet taste.
Manchego is aged between 60 days and two years – the older kind, Manchego Viejo, is salty and crumbly, whereas semi-curado is soft, sweeter, and mild. When using it as a substitute for pecorino, go for a manchego cheese with a similar age. It is best served with a cheeseboard and a Spanish red wine.
Asiago cheese is another Italian cheese that makes a good substitute for pecorino. Made from aged cow’s milk, Asiago is typically sold in three different styles depending on age: mezzo – soft and sweet; vicchio – more complex and more bitter; and stravecchio – hard, strong, and salty.
This cheese is classified as a Swiss or alpine-style cheese, and production occurs in the Asiago plateau's alpine area, instilling the Alps' forth. Asiago is also made outside of Italy, mainly in the United States (Asiago bagels, anyone?) and Australia.
Enjoy Asiago cheese as a substitute for pecorino cheese shaved on top of a salad or as part of a cheeseboard with crackers and fruit.
An Italian cheese named for the Piave River in the northern part of the Veneto region, Piave cheese has a dense texture and wonderful flavor, making it an ideal replacement for pecorino cheeses. Aged between 20 days and 18 months, the more mature versions – vecchio, vecchio selezione, and reserva are perfect for saltier cheeses like Pecorino Romano.
Piave cheese is delicious when grated over salads or pasta dishes, but it's delicious with an oven-baked polenta or slow-cooked risotto.
Grana Padano is an Italian cheese like a milder version of Parmesan. Also made using cow’s milk, Grana Padano has a similar production process to parmesan cheese, albeit with less strict guidelines.
As it's generally less salty and has a milder flavor than Pecorino Romano, grana padano makes a better substitute for Pecorino Saldo, Pecorino Tosco, and Pecorino Siciliano. If you use Grana Padano to replace Pecorino Romano, go for the more mature kind.
Grana Padano is a younger cheese than parmesan and has a less crumbly texture and milder flavor than actual parmesan cheese. Aged for at least nine months, this cheese can replace Pecorino cheese by grating over pasta or chunking onto a cheese board alongside mixed nuts, fruit, and charcuterie.
Although Pecorino cheese has a distinctive taste and texture from quality ingredients and rigorous production methods, vegans and vegetarians can use a good substitute when mixing the right ingredients.
Nutritional yeast, known for its umami flavor and slightly spicy aroma, is the ideal flavor-maker when substituting Pecorino cheese. Combine with almond meal or blended raw cashews, mix in some garlic, onion powder, and herbs of your choice, and you've got your vegan alternative to Pecorino cheese!
You can also keep it simple and sprinkle some nutritional yeast on top of pasta or baked hot dishes when a final flourish of Pecorino cheese is required from your recipe.
What's the difference between Pecorino and Pecorino Romano cheese?
Pecorino Romano cheese is a type of Pecorino. Pecorino (meaning "of sheep" or "ovine" in Italian) is the overall term for the specific kind of cheese that is made in a certain way.
The Romano version is the most popular version of Pecorino cheese. It has a distinct flavor that's stronger and saltier than most.
Is Ricotta a good substitute for Pecorino cheese?
Although they are made from sheep's milk, these two cheeses differ. So, I wouldn't recommend using them interchangeably. If you're going to use ricotta as a substitute, go for the matured version, Ricotta Salata.
What does Pecorino cheese go well with?
Pecorino is perfect for eating independently but is even better when paired with a full-bodied, heavy-tannin wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Chianti. It's also great with figs, apricots, raspberries, dried fruits and nuts, honey, and cold cuts.
Is Pecorino cheese vegan?
No, it contains sheep's milk. However, there is a good alternative available.
Can you get a vegan Pecorino cheese substitute?
Mix nutritional yeast with almond meal or raw cashews pulsed into a paste for an excellent dairy-free or vegan cheese option.
Mixing nutritional yeast with an almond meal or raw cashews pulsed into a paste, then adding flavorings such as garlic, onion powder, herbs, and ground black pepper, you can make an excellent vegan substitute for Pecorino.
Remember, if you need a quick dairy-free topping for pasta or baked dishes, nutritional yeast is the perfect alternative to cheese.
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