Notes from…Rome
The capital. The place of coins in fountains! Colosseums! The pope! A place you can recreate your favourite movies scenes with ten times the number of tourists in the backdrop! It’s not the Pasta Grannies team’s way to spend a lot of time in Italy’s cities. It’s not that we don’t love them (we love everything Italian) it’s just that these cities get enough if tourist trade; we’re more interested in finding the real unsung heroes, le nonne, nestled in the hills and living by the sea in villages and small towns. However, recently, for a different part of my job, I was sent to bella Roma. And although I am more interested in the food stories that exist off the beaten-track, I do enjoy a trip to the capital. Rome offered me a chance to look into traditions, find some local institutions and map my way around the place bite by bite. Here’s some of my tips for where to eat like a local in Rome…
Traditional dishes
So, of course no trip for any member of the Pasta Grannies team is complete without pasta. Rome is famous for some of the richer dishes in Italy’s cuisine. While here you can opt for a guanciale (pork cheek) based carbonara or amatriciana. The thick smoky flavour and high fat content makes for rich flavoured dish. For the veggies (or non-pork eaters) cacio e pepe is a traditional favourite. Packed with Pecorino Romano and lots of black pepper, it’s got a real depth of flavour; salty, nutty, savoury goodness. If you fancy trying these dishes, the team at Il Marchese will look after you well, and they serve some of the best Roman pasta in the city. Plus, with an award-winning amaro menu, you can wash it all down with an Americano cocktail and feel glamorous. The Americano, is the pre-decessor cocktail to a negroni: here they use many different types of amaro and their mixology is subtly balanced with inventive ingredients such as black tea and pear soda. My tip? Try their signature ‘#1’ cocktail off their menu.
Piazzas and Pizzas
Rome is also famous for pizza and the Roman base thin and crispy comparatively to its puffed-up, chewy Napoli cousins. There are so many great pizza spots in the city: head to Trastevere region and hang out like the cool kids on a street corner with a beer, watching. the world go by. Or you can order it by the slice from Netflix’s Chef’s Table star, Gabriele Bonci at his panificio in Prati. If you’d prefer to sit pretty while living like a local, sit down for a mid-week business lunch at Il Ciampini. This place serves thing crispy pizza and salads in the outdoor piazza. You’ll spot many a glamorous Italian woman necking an espresso before heading back to the office while suited men air kiss and constantly shout ‘pronto’ on the phone. By sitting here you’re not just eating, you’re really experiencing a slice of Italian life. Don’t leave without tasting their chestnut ice cream. The marron glacé scoop is something to write home about. Some other favourite Roman gelaterias in the Pasta Grannies team include: Gracchi and Giolitti.
Taste the rainbow
When you’ve had enough done pizza tasting and sight-seeing, you might be in search of something green. For this, head to Mercato Trionfale, located near the Vatican. It’s the oldest market in the city and there are less tourists here – it’s a place many of the city’s restaurant chefs go to purchase fruit and vegetable for their restaurants. Browse the stalls and feast your eyes on local produce. This place sports the largest collection of carciofi (artichokes) I’ve ever seen. From purple-headed and pre-prepared, to carciofini (miniature) as well as wild asparagus and chard, there’s a rich tapestry of green. There’s something meditative about the preparation of artichokes, I noticed when I watched filmed nonna Pina making caponata. Not only can they be eaten in meals, but they make a delicious snacks: the flower parts battered and deep fried as per Antonia’s fried cardoon recipe if you fancy trying it for yourself.
And then, take it home:
Of course, like any Italian market, there’s a surplus of cured meats and cheeses to be bought (and tasted). Head to the Gusto E Traditionze at Box 224. The owner Luigi not only sells gourmet produce but delicious porchetta sandwiches and ‘taglieri’. If you don’t mind drinking from a plastic cup, then he can also serve you a great glass of white wine to go alongside it (even if it’s 10 in the morning). For a small price of he’ll be able to do you a tasting plate including Parmigianno Reggiano, Pecorino Romano and Casciotta. Alongside the fattier varieties of salamis such as finnocciona, flavoured with fennel and mortadellas flavoured with pistachio. Make sure you sample some Coppiette, a chewy pork variety. It’s made from tenderloin or neck meat with the fat stripped away, sprinkled with herbs, peppers and spices. I spotted a salami larger than an industrial hose pipe. And, if you want to take some away with you, he can vacuum pack it to keep it fresh. This is the place to purchase your food souvenirs for after you’ve left (not only is it more authentic but it’ll be much cheaper than the shops in the centre of the city).
Have you been to Rome? What did you eat? Did you go to any markets? Gelaterias? Let us know (hello@pastagrannies.com).
