Roman cuisine is so tasty, creamy and flavorful. The basis of many typical dishes are “poor man’s” ingredients, like the bits and pieces of meat that weren’t sold at the daily market. The old and large Jewish community has also deeply influenced the cuisine.
Roman cuisine features seasonal and simply-prepared ingredients from the Roman countryside such as: peas, artichokes, fava beans, roman broccoli, milk-fed lamb and goat, and cheeses like the salty Pecorino Romano and ricotta. Strutto (pork lard) is used for frying while olive oil is reserved for vegetables.
The Roman diet is very seasonal. For example, in April and May, the fava beans come out. Typically, they will eat them crude accompanied with pecorino romano cheese, some bread and a bottle of wine from Frascati. But some dishes are true classics year-round. For your pasta try: an amatriciana (red sauce with pieces of guanciale - pigs cheek - and pecorino cheese) or a cacio e pepe (pecorino cheese with lots of black pepper), a gricia (pecorino and guanciale), or the famous carbonara (pecorino, guanciale and egg). All have unique flavors but are rich, creamy and very filling. If you are more into the meats then try: trippa alla romana (tripe cooked with tomato sauce, wild mint and topped with pecorino), Saltimbocca (veal with ham and sage), Scaloppine alla romana (veal sautéed with fresh baby artichokes) or the Coda alla vaccinara (oxtail stew). For non-meat lovers, the vegetables are a must try. The artichokes either Carciofi alla Romana (whole artichokes filled with minced garlic and parsley and cooked in olive oil, leaving them soft and sautéed like) or Carciofi alla guidia (Jewish style artichokes where whole artichokes are filled with chili peppers and deep fried). Don’t forget supplì (fried rice balls with cheese and other flavors) and a thin crust Roman pizza for a popular and lighter dinner. Finish with a smooth hazelnut or pistacchio gelato on your way home.
There is no way like understanding Roman cuisine than trying it and there is no better way than on one of the delightfully tasty food tours available in Rome. We, Romans, even learned way more about the history and ingredients of these dishes that we grew up eating!