The Hit List | Where To Find the Best of Rome's Traditional Pasta Dishes
There are four classic Roman pasta dishes: carbonara, cacio e pepe, amatriciana, and alla gricia. All such simple recipes that are perfect as they are and should not be tampered with. My rule of thumb has always been, do not order these Roman pastas anywhere else besides Rome. They will just not stand up to the expectations. Romans do these dishes the best. 🍝
Cacio e Pepe
Cacio e pepe directly translates from Italian to “cheese and pepper.” The authentic version only contains four ingredients: pasta, pasta water, ground black pepper, and Pecorino Romano. (The cheese must be Pecorino for true Italian cacio e pepe) No butter or cream. Long types of pasta like linguine, spaghetti, tonnarelli, or bucatini are perfect for soaking up this creamy sauce.
Amatriciana
Pasta all’ Amatriciana originated in the town of Amatrice (located in the Lazio region which Rome is a part of). This pasta dish features long bucatini noodles and a tomato based sauce complemented by hints of guanciale (pork jowl or pork cheek), grated Pecorino Romano cheese, and onions. and cheese.
Carbonara
Spaghetti alla carbonara is made with egg, cheese, and crispy pork belly. Cubes of guanciale add a crispy pop of flavor. The creaminess of the sauce in carbonara does not come from heavy cream, but from the emulsion of egg yolks with cheese and starchy pasta water.
Authentic carbonara is made quickly because the pasta needs to still be warm enough to encourage the egg, guanciale, and cheese mixture to emulsify into the perfect creamy sauce. Yum!