La Cucina Romana
When I think about Roman cuisine, what instantly materializes聽in front of my eyes is that old movie by Steno,听Un Americano a Roma聽(An American in Rome). The main actor was, of course, Alberto Sordi (as Nando Morriconi) playing an Italian man聽obsessed with聽the American dream, constantly regretting his Roman roots.
One night his mother made some spaghetti, but he, tired of the Italian ways and completely enamoured with all that was made in the US of A, opts for a quintessential American meal: sandwiches with jam and mustard. One bite is聽enough to bring the good old Roman in Nando, who may聽adore the US, but cannot live without a plate of maccheroni.听So he picks up the cofana (roman dialect for salad bowl or a very large serving dish) full of maccheroni and utters one of the most famous, iconic sentences of Italian cinema: “Maccheroni you’ve provoked me and I’ll destroy you!”.
Within this phrase, or even more rightly, within聽the whole sequence of the “maccheroni,”聽we find a聽full synthesis of the relationship Romans have with food: nevermind the trends, nevermind the diets, food is pleasure.
From聽“lucullian” banquets of Imperial times,听organized by Lucullo,听a very rich聽Roman citizen,听to the tables of the poor, who made strange, yet delicious dishes聽with leftovers, offal and god-knows-what-else (and how famous are these recipes today!), the Romans have always been a popolo mangereccio and聽always enjoyed the pleasure of good cuisine.听Roman cuisine, which is mainly popular and casareccia聽(home made), kept its tradition throughout the centuries.
Essentially, traditional Roman food is聽based on dried pasta such as rigatoni, Bucatini聽(hollow spaghetti) and regular spaghetti,听a great start for every meal. Among the better聽known dishes are the bucatini all’Amatriciana,聽a dish that takes its name from聽the town of Amatrice (in the Rieti province聽). Bucatini, a kind of spaghetti resembling 聽small straws, are dressed with tomato sauces with聽lightly fried bacon (or guanciale), oil and hot pepper, served with a good sprinkle of grated roman pecorino cheese. Spaghetti alla carbonara,听or simply known as carbonara, are spaghetti dressed with a mix of raw eggs, pancetta (or guanciale),听pepper, parmesan and/or pecorino cheese. 聽are so called because of their聽particularly spicy sauce, made with chilli pepper.听Spaghetti cacio e pepe聽is a very simple dish, made with pecorino cheese and black pepper.听More typical are the聽rigatoni with Pajata, dressed with tomato sauce, oil, garlic, and veal’s聽intestines.
When it comes to primi piatti, however, Roman cuisine has more than pasta to offer. Gnocchi alla Romana are聽a traditional dish of the city, where semolina is used instead of potatoes and the gnocchi聽are layered with butter and parmesan, then baked.听They are traditionally eaten on Thursday.
I secondi (meat or fish dishes) of聽Rome are as rich and earthy as its聽pasta dishes. Lamb is a favorite, and it is聽usually cooked in the oven or fried聽scotta dito聽style (scorched finger-style).听Coda alla Vaccinara聽is also quintessentially Roman: its聽main ingredient is聽oxtail, flavored with celery and, often, sultanas. There’s also the聽trippa alla Trasteverina聽(tripes “trasteverina聽style”, Trastevere being an area in downtown聽Rome) which is cooked in a clay pan, and the most popular saltimbocca alla Romana,听saut茅d slices of veal covered with聽a slice of “prosciutto” ham and a salvia leaf. Coda alla vaccinara and trippa are somehow “weird” dishes, not commonly eaten in the rest of Italy.听Fish also holds an important place in the roman cuisine. Typical is codfish, usually eaten on Fridays. Then mullets, sea crayfish, and prawns. Carciofi alla Romana聽(artichokes Roman style) is the king of the vegetables courses and are prepared by mixing the artichoke’s stem with garlic, parsley, salt, pepper and oil.
Also famous are聽puntarelle聽a kind of salad served with oil, salt, vinegar and pieces of anchovy.
Of course good wine cannot miss on your traditional Roman table. Just take a ride in the Castelli Romani聽(Roman Castles) for an amazing eno-gastronomic tour you聽surely won’t forget.
Typical of this area are fraschette, old home-style wine shops, where聽you can聽enjoy a couple of glasses of the local wine directly from the barrel, along with some homemade bread, better if toasted with oil, salt and garlic (the so called bruschetta). You may also go for some聽porchetta di Ariccia聽(named after the town of origin), piglet cleaned of its intestines and flavored with lard, salt, pepper, garlic, various aromatic herbs rigorously cooked over a slow, open coal fire.
Sweets and cakes are not missing, either. Crostata with ricotta聽(tart with ricotta), the famous maritozzi聽(cream puffs) and the ciambelle al vino聽(doughnuts made with wine).
This is obviously just a short trip in world of Roman cuisine,听but I’m sure that it was enough to make your mouth water.
So, if you’ll聽have the luck to be in the area sooner or later,听don’t miss an evening in聽a typical Roman tavern (Trattoria or Osteria). In case you want some suggestions, here are some聽Best Restaurants in Rome聽and, along with fantastic聽wine and聽delicious聽cuisine, you’ll certainly find that warm, friendly atmosphere that’ll transform your trip in the most unforgettable of the experiences.
Buon Appetito!
By Rita Peters
