What Italian sheep's milk cheese is essential for Cacio e Pepe?

The Italian sheep’s-milk cheese essential to traditional cacio e pepe is Pecorino Romano. Its salty, sharp flavor and hard texture make it the defining cheese in this simple Roman pasta.

Cacio e pepe combines grated Pecorino Romano, black pepper, pasta, and a little starchy cooking water. The water helps form an emulsion that coats the noodles, while the cheese supplies both seasoning and body. Tonnarelli is a classic pasta choice, although spaghetti is also widely used.

Pecorino Romano is an ancient cheese with roots in the Roman world, where sheep’s-milk cheeses were valued because they were nutritious and kept well. Today, its protected production area includes Lazio, Sardinia, and the province of Grosseto. Parmesan is also a hard Italian cheese, but it is made from cow’s milk and has a milder, nuttier profile. Mozzarella and ricotta have entirely different textures and are not the traditional cacio e pepe cheese.