Carciofi alla GiudiaJewish-style fried artichokes
Whole Romanesco artichokes pressed open and deep-fried until the leaves crisp like petals, the signature of the Roman Jewish Ghetto.
Pairs with
Lazio cuisine
Rome's kitchen is built on the 'quinto quarto' offal tradition and the holy trinity of pecorino, guanciale and black pepper, the four great pastas (carbonara, amatriciana, gricia, cacio e pepe), oxtail and tripe, artichokes two ways, and cream-filled maritozzi. Its wines are the Malvasia-and-Trebbiano whites of the Castelli Romani, Frascati, Marino, and the peppery Cesanese red of the hills to the south.
Antipasto
Supplì al TelefonoFried rice croquettes
Rice croquettes bound with tomato-and-meat ragù around a molten mozzarella heart that pulls into 'telephone wires' when broken, Roman street food.
Pairs with
Primo
Bucatini all'AmatricianaBucatini with guanciale and tomato
Hollow bucatini in a sauce of crisped guanciale, tomato, a little chilli and a shower of Pecorino Romano.
Spaghetti alla CarbonaraSpaghetti with egg, guanciale and pecorino
Spaghetti bound in a cream of egg yolk and Pecorino Romano with crisp guanciale and lots of black pepper, no cream, no garlic.
Cacio e PepePasta with pecorino and pepper
Tonnarelli or spaghetti emulsified with Pecorino Romano and cracked black pepper into a glossy sauce, three ingredients, hard to master.
Secondo
Coda alla VaccinaraBraised oxtail
Oxtail from the 'quinto quarto' braised for hours with tomato, celery, and a sweet-sour touch of cocoa, pine nuts and raisins.
Abbacchio ScottaditoGrilled milk-lamb cutlets
Tiny cutlets of milk-fed Roman lamb grilled hot and eaten with the fingers ('scottadito'), scented with rosemary.
Dolce
Maritozzo con la PannaCream-filled sweet bun
A soft, slightly sweet bun split and overfilled with whipped cream, the Roman breakfast indulgence.
Typical products
DOP, IGP and traditional specialities of Lazio.
Pecorino Romano DOPDOP
Pecorino Romano · Cheese
A hard, salty sheep's-milk cheese aged in tall drums, the sharp grating cheese behind carbonara, gricia, amatriciana and cacio e pepe.
Porchetta di Ariccia IGPIGP
Ariccia porchetta · Roast pork
A whole pig boned, herbed with rosemary, garlic and pepper and slow-roasted into a long roll with crackling skin, the great Roman street sandwich filling.
Carciofo Romanesco del Lazio IGPIGP
Roman artichoke · Artichoke
The big, round, spineless 'mammola' artichoke of the Roman coast, tender enough to eat almost whole, the base of carciofi alla romana and alla giudia.
Ricotta Romana DOPDOP
Roman ricotta · Cheese
A sweet, fine-grained fresh sheep's-milk ricotta made from the whey of pecorino, eaten fresh or baked into tarts.
GuancialePAT
Cured pork jowl · Cured pork
Cured pork cheek rubbed with pepper and aged, fattier and deeper than pancetta, rendered down as the fat base of Rome's four great pastas.
Nocciola Romana DOPDOP
Roman hazelnut · Hazelnut
Round, sweet hazelnuts from the volcanic Cimini and Sabatini hills north of Rome, prized for confectionery.