The 4 Traditional Roman Pasta Dishes

Roman cuisine has evolved throughout the ages, morphing and adapting to a variety of social, economic, and global changes. The initial staples of the Roman diet included cereals and legumes with smaller portions of fruits, vegetables, and cheese. With limited refrigeration during Roman times, foods were seasonal in supply, and most peoples’ diets involved very little meat. Common culinary seasonings included fermented fish sauces, vinegar, and honey.

As Ancient Rome expanded, so did the culinary techniques and methods available to them, with foods like oysters and ham imported from other countries. By the time of the Italian Renaissance, Rome became a cultural hub of high cuisine by the time of the Italian Renaissance. Greater opportunities for trade and travel also led to the introduction of new-world crops, like the tomato, which became a staple of Italian cuisine.

There are four classic Roman pasta dishes: carbonara, cacio e pepe, amatriciana, and alla Gricia. Each uses slightly different techniques and ingredients and has its own place in the canon of Italian food. Here is a brief breakdown of these iconic Italian pasta dishes.

1. 1. Alla Gricia: Pasta alla Gricia is a Roman dish made with pasta, guanciale, Pecorino cheese, and black pepper. The dish starts with guanciale made from pork jowl that’s high in fat and perfect for rendering into a silky sauce. Add black pepper to the rendered fat, ensuring a hint of peppery flavor throughout each bite. Next, add some starchy pasta to aid in the emulsification of the fat and pepper to make a glossy sauce that coats the pasta. Garnish with Pecorino Romano cheese for a tangy finish.
2. 2. Amatriciana: Pasta all’Amatriciana is an Italian pasta dish that originated in the town of Amatrice (located in the Lazio region of Italy that includes Rome, the country’s capital). This pasta dish features long noodles and a Roman tomato sauce complemented by hints of pork and cheese. Amatriciana is a tomato sauce made up of crushed, peeled tomatoes as well as guanciale (pork jowl or pork cheek), grated Pecorino Romano cheese, and onions. You can use this sauce on plenty of pasta types such as bucatini and spaghetti.
3. 3. Cacio e pepe: “Cacio e pepe” directly translates from Italian to “cheese and pepper,” which is a creamy sauce made with a generous helping of pecorino romano, black pepper, and extra-starchy pasta water. (The cheese must be Pecorino for true Italian cacio e pepe—never parmesan cheese!) Long types of pasta like linguine, spaghetti, tonnarelli, or bucatini are perfect for soaking up this creamy sauce. Authentic cacio e pepe does not traditionally use butter or cream in its original recipe, and only contains four ingredients: pasta, pasta water, ground black pepper, and Pecorino Romano.
4. 4. Carbonara: Spaghetti alla carbonara is an Italian pasta dish made with egg, cheese, and crispy pork belly. To make it, combine al dente pasta with raw egg yolks, grated cheese, and a little reserved pasta water to make a sauce that coats the hot pasta strands as it cooks. Cubes of guanciale, or cured pork jowl, add a crispy pop of flavor. Carbonara does not incorporate heavy cream, unlike pasta Alfredo. The creaminess comes from the emulsion of egg yolks with cheese and starchy pasta water. You must make authentic carbonara quickly, because the pasta needs to still be warm to encourage the egg, guanciale, and cheese mixture to emulsify into the perfect creamy sauce.
   

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