What to eat in Rome

Rome, Tevere river and St Peter dome

So you have finally decided to visit Rome...that's good.

Needless to say that the Eternal City is one of the most beautiful city in the world (top 1 in my personal opinion...but I was born there....) and can offer a full immersion into history and art. And while you are there, walking around ancient ruins, museums and baroque churches, you may get hungry.

This post is here to help you, not in finding the best places to eat (as I am sure there are plenty of other websites that can help you in that) but more precisely in giving you some hints on the traditional local gastronomy, and guide you in tasting the city as a local would do.

The traditional Roman cuisine is based on rural derived ingredients where nothing gets wasted, and food is prepared according to recipes often handed down from generation to generation in the family.

Since this has always been a very fertile and productive agricultural land, Roman recipes are ideally associated with particularly simple but nutritious dishes born from different traditions such as those of the area of Testaccio, once called Quinto Quarto, the Judeo-Roman culture and the traditions of the Castelli Romani.

Let's start this culinary trip with some "primi" (pasta based courses with which Italians normally start their meals):

Carbonara, a classic dish, popular all over the world, simply made of spaghetti, cured pork cheek ("guanciale"), eggs, pepper and Pecorino cheese. Everyone loves Carbonara, but forget the creamy international version; in Rome you will eat the real one and your portion will be big!

Spaghetti Carbonara

Gricia, all you need is pasta, guanciale and Pecorino to prepare this ancient recipe that is considered to be an ancestor of the "Amatriciana". Simple and extremely tasty!

Cacio e pepe, another basic preparation as most Roman recipes, this pasta just requires Pecorino and freshly ground pepper.
Be aware that the simplest the recipe, the harder is to make it perfect.

Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe

Rigatoni con paiata this intensely flavoured dish originates in the historic district of Testaccio, where the slaughterhouse was located. The workers of the slaughterhouse (aka "scortichini" in Roman dialect), at the end of the day used to bring home the entrails, a poor but substantial product due to the presence of chyme (the milky residue of the calf). Used as a base for the preparation of the sauce, the "pajata" (the Roman version for the chyme) gave life to one of the most peculiar Capitoline recipes.

Time to move to a "secondo" which is basically a main course that normally would follow pasta on an Italian menu.

Abbacchio scottadito, grilled or roasted baby spring lamb chops flavoured with rosemary and served with roasted potatoes.
What does "scottadito" means? Finger burning, a reference to the fact they are generally eaten with your hands rather than fork and knife!

Abbacchio Scottadito alla Romana

Coda Vaccinara, basically an oxtail stew. Probably one of the most important dishes of the traditional local cuisine, because it includes the simplicity of cheap ingredients and lots of taste.


Saltimbocca alla Romana, veal escalopes ready to jump in your mouth (as the literal translation suggests), prepared with ham and sage and cooked with a savory dressing made with white wine and butter. A recipe that has rather ancient origins and it's rooted in the traditional refined cuisine.

And, what for side?

Cicoria, wild chicory is one of the most popular vegetables in the Lazio region. It is wild and can be easily found in the fields especially in spring. It has a bitterish taste and it is super-delicious when it is sauteed in the pan with garlic and lots of chili.

Carciofi alla Giudia, a typical side dish of the local gastronomy, in particular of the Judeo-Roman cuisine. It was invented in the city of Rome and the original recipe basically consists of crispy deep fried artichokes. Best examples can be eaten in some typical trattorias in the ancient Jewish Ghetto.

Carciofi Giudia

But if one day you are not that hungry and want to taste some street food, you should absolutely taste one of these local delicacies: suppli, fiori di zucca, filetti di baccala, panino con porchetta, maritozzo, grattachecca, fave e pecorino...maybe we'll talk about these another day, I'm hungry now!!

Buon appetito!