Pecorino Romano is a hard, salty Italian cheese, suitable primarily for grating, made out of sheep milk (the Italian word pecora, from which the name derives, means sheep). It is produced exclusively from the milk of sheep raised on the plains of Lazio and in Sardinia. Pecorino Romano is most often used on pasta dishes, like the better-known Parmigiano Reggiano (parmesan). Its distinctive aromatic, pleasantly sharp, very salty flavor means that in Italian cuisine, it is preferred for some pasta dishes with highly-flavored sauces, especially those of Roman origin, such as bucatini all'amatriciana. The sharpness depends on the period of maturation, which varies from five months for a table cheese to at least eight months for a grating cheese.