Trippa alla Romana Recipe: 3 Tips for Making Roman Tripe
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Jun 29, 2022 • 3 min read
Trippa alla Romana is easy to recreate at home with a few basic ingredients and good-quality tripe from your local butcher.
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What Is Trippa alla Romana?
Trippa alla Romana is a traditional preparation of tripe in tomato sauce from Rome, Italy. This Roman-style dish consists of tripe simmered in a vegetal tomato sauce and finished with finely grated cheese and fresh mint. To offset the pungent flavor of the offal, cooks add flavorful vegetables like celery and garlic to a basic tomato sauce.
Once considered a peasant dish, it is now a staple in Italian cuisine. You can find a version of this dish all over Italy, showered with grated Pecorino Romano cheese and mint, with slight variations depending on the region.
Organs like tripe are such an essential part of the fabric of Italian cuisine that Italians call organ meat the “quinto quarto,” or fifth quarter.
3 Tips for Making Trippa alla Romana
Here is how to make this tender and flavorful tripe recipe at home.
- 1. Look for honeycomb beef tripe. There are several types of tripe, each of which comes from a different part of the cow’s digestive system. Honeycomb tripe is from the second stomach and is typically the most tender. Plus, the nooks and crannies are perfect for soaking up that delicious tomato sauce.
- 2. Soak before cooking. Though the butcher should have already done the cleaning, it’s good practice to scrub the tripe with coarse salt and white vinegar, then soak it in cold water for ten minutes to remove any impurities before slicing and cooking the tripe. You’ll cook it in salted water first, then in the sauce.
- 3. Season in stages. When slow-cooking, it’s important to season as you go to ensure the food does not become overly salty. Trippa alla Romana involves salting the cooking water for the tripe, starting the sauce with pancetta, and finishing with hard, salty cheese. Many Italian recipes dispense with exact measurements for salt, so taste and season as you cook for a balance that suits your palate.
Traditional Trippa alla Romana Recipe
makes
prep time
10 mintotal time
3 hrcook time
2 hr 50 minIngredients
- 1
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil over high heat and add the scrubbed and soaked tripe.
- 2
Boil the tripe for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer the tripe for 2 hours.
- 3
While the tripe cooks, begin making the sauce. Heat a large skillet over low heat and add the diced pancetta.
- 4
Cook until the fat from the pancetta begins to render, and the meat gets crispy, about 15 minutes.
- 5
Add the onions and garlic and sauté over medium heat until the onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes.
- 6
Add the carrot, celery ribs and leaves, and a pinch each of salt and pepper and sauté until tender, another 6–7 minutes.
- 7
Add the white wine and bring to a simmer.
- 8
Simmer until the wine has reduced to a syrupy consistency, about 5 minutes.
- 9
Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to coat the vegetables.
- 10
Stir in the crushed tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.
- 11
Simmer the sauce over low heat while the tripe cooks.
- 12
Drain the tripe and let it cool slightly before slicing it into 1-inch strips.
- 13
Add the cut tripe to tomato sauce, and stir to combine.
- 14
Simmer the mixture over low heat until the tripe is tender and infused with the flavors of the sauce, about 40 minutes.
- 15
Add the crushed red pepper, if using, and taste the dish for seasoning. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- 16
Transfer the trippa alla Romana to the serving bowls and drizzle it lightly with olive oil. Garnish with cheese and mint.
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