The four famous Roman pastas

The Italian cuisine is renowned for its famous pasta dishes. But, did you know that Rome is one place where you can enjoy most of these varieties? Yes, the famous Roman kinds of pasta will leave you with an amazing eating experience. The most interesting thing, however, is that there are two important ingredients key in their cuisine. You can also get real italian food restaurant in Orlando, FL.

These include:

  • Guanciale – this is cured pork meat, which comes from a pig’s check, and it’s a common ingredient in most recipes.
  • Pecorino Romano – this is a hard and salty cheese made from sheep milk, and it’s grated to increase the flavor. The Romans prefer to use this rather than parmesan in a majority of their cooking methods.

Some of the pasta dishes in Rome either use one of these or both. However, it’s important to note that each recipe is unique, and it can be a ‘sin’ not to try each of these pasta dishes. With that, let’s look at the four famous pasta dishes in Rome.

Pasta Alla Gricia

This is the base used in most of the famous pasta dishes in Rome and it uses both the guanciale and pecorino romano. When you add a few drops of pasta water, you get an amazing creamy sauce for this famous pasta dish.

Naturally, guanciale has a beautiful layer of fat, which blends with the pasta water once rendered down, creating a lovely creamy consistency. Then, it’s mixed with cooked pasta, and served alongside strokes of grated pecorino.

Carbonara

Next on the list, is the legendary carbonara, another amazing Roman pasta dish that has evolved into different British versions over the years. In Britain, Carbonara is cooked with cream, and toppings like mushrooms and chicken are added to the dish. However, Romans consider this to be an atrocity to the dish. So, if you want to know how an authentic carbonara tastes like, Rome is the place to be.

The Roman carbonara is prepared using the same base as ‘Alla Gricia.’ But, whisked yolks or eggs are added for extra richness and creaminess. The most essential skill here is to avoid overcooking the eggs, as you will end up creating a scrambled egg effect, also known as carbonara faux pas.

Amatriciana

This is another amazing Roman Pasta, which also has ‘Alla Gricia’ as a base. However, the major difference with this dish is the tomatoes added together with the pasta water to the reduced guanciale, thus creating a thick and silky sauce. Lastly, grated pecorino is sprinkled to complete the dish.

Cacio e Pepe

This translates to cheese and pepper, Cacio e Pepe is a vegetarian pasta dish. However, this dish uses pecorino only since it’s vegetarian. It’s a simple dish to prepare because of the ingredients used, but most people get it wrong the first time. The thing is to get a silky cheesy sauce, which coats the pasta—and it’s served with plenty of black pepper.

With that, let’s look at the two major things to avoid when eating pasta in Rome.

Never cut pasta with a knife

While most people consider this to be an easy way to enjoy pasta, it’s inappropriate to do so in Rome. Think of the time and effort it took the chef to prepare your pasta. Now, cutting it makes all that work meaningless—and it ruins the texture of the meal. Rather, use your fork to isolate the pasta stands from the plate, and then twist them around the fork.

Never use a spoon to eat pasta

In most Italian dishes, it’s ok to use a spoon, especially if the dish is creamy or has a lot of sauce. However, you shouldn’t use a spoon to help roll your past around your fork in an Italian restaurant. Rather, you should use your plate to roll the pasta around the fork. Italian restaurants in Orlando FL know how to serve you authentic Italian food.