I’ve had some email and other requests recently to actually post the recipes of all these fantastic Roman dishes I’ve been blogging about… so by popular demand here they are.
If however you prefer to follow the recipes in Italian, check out this fantastic site with recipes to almost every Roman plate you can think of:
Also regarding the cooking of the pasta, I presume most people know of the term
al dente but just in case you don’t… it’s an Italian expression that translates literally to ‘to the tooth’ or ‘to the bite’, referring basically to the need to chew the pasta because of its firmness. So you should cook it to be firm, not hard, but with a decent bite to it. In Italy, it’s the only way pasta is served and I absolutely love it.
Happy cooking
alla Romana and buon appetito!
Spaghetti Carbonara
Serves 6
- 600 grams of spaghetti
- 300 grams of guanciale or pancetta (or bacon) cut into cubes or small strips
- 4 eggs Roman pecorino cheese
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Fry the bacon in the oil until golden and crispy. In a bowl, beat together the eggs, approximately 4 tablespoons of pecorino, salt and pepper. Boil the pasta until it’s al dente, drain, and mix straightaway with the beaten eggs and fried guanciale / pancetta or bacon. Keep it on the heat for a couple of minutes until the egg sauce becomes firm. Sprinkle some more cheese and add pepper.
Bucatini alla Matriciana
Serves 6
- 600 grams of bucatini
- 100 grams of guanciale and 50 grams of pancetta (or just bacon)
- 500 grams of tomatoes
- Roman pecorino cheese
- Brown onion
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
- Chilli (to taste)
Brown the onion in oil and then add the guanciale and pancetta (cut into cubes), the tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste and chilli. Leave the sauce cook slowly. In the meantime, cook the pasta. Once ready, pour the bucatini al dente into the pan and leave them cook together with the sauce. Toss through the cheese – the characteristic flavour of this dish is developed with the cheese, which must be Roman pecorino.
Bucatini alla Matriciana
Serves 6
- 600 grams of bucatini
- 100 grams of guanciale and 50 grams of pancetta (or just bacon)
- Roman pecorino cheese
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Brown the guanciale and pancetta (cut into cubes) with some olive oil. In the meantime, cook the pasta. Drain the past and keep some of the water. Toss with the cooked guanciale/pancetta and add olive oil to taste and the pecorino cheese and pepper.
Tonarelli Cacio e Pepe
Serves 6
- 600 grams of egg pasta (tonarelli or spaghetti)
- Roman pecorino cheese
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Cook the pasta al dente and drain them. Leave a little water in the pot. Mix with olive oil, lots of grated Roman pecorino and a generous sprinkling of freshly ground pepper.
Veal Saltimboca
Serves 6
- 12 thin veal escalopes (2 per person, approx 50grams each)
- 12 slices of prosciutto
- Fresh sage (about 12 leaves)
- Plain flour
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Butter
- White wine (about a cup)
- Salt
- Pepper
Salt and pepper the veal and lightly flour it on both sides. Top with sage and slice of prosciutto. Use toothpicks to keep it all together. Fry the saltimbocca in a pan with butter and oil, and simmer with a cup of white wine.
Puntarelle with Anchovy and Olive Oil Dressing
Serves 4
- 400 grams of puntarelle
- 100 grams of anchovies
- Salt
- Vinegar
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Crush garlic and anchovy with a pestle and mortar (or a fork!) and add oil and vinegar (1 part vinegar to 2 parts oil). Dress the puntarelle and let them marinate in a bowl for about an hour before serving.
Buon appetito di nuovo!
(Hungrily) Signing off from Trastevere,
Baci Maria
