A recent article on the New York Times, revealed how New Yorkers have been attracted by an increasing number of Roman restaurants in the city. It is easier to find ingredients and it is easier to satisfy costumers, because, as the articles declares, “Roman food is comfort food”...

Well, we're proud of our city and we're glad that you can experience the authenthic flavour of Roman food in your home country. But the experience would not be complete without the atmosphere created by a small table on a narrow street surrounded by open air history that is just displayed everywhere around you.

In the article, we find that “Testaccio, a new restaurant in Long Island City, is named for the slaughterhouse district in Rome and is decorated with old photos of that area. Well, Testaccio neighborhood is by far one of the most traditionally ‘Roman’, and you can enjoy the atmosphere of the famous market and one of the trattorias with us during our “Foodie tour “.

Here you can definitely find traditional dishes like “saltimbocca, which should be small pieces of tender veal topped with prosciutto and sage, no cheese, and quickly sautéed with a splash of wine to ‘jump into the mouth,’ are to Rome what pesto is to Genoa” or “properly made spaghetti alla carbonara: mingles guanciale, the unsmoked bacon made from pork cheeks, with eggs and cheese, and no cream!”

Once you tasted the delicious Roman food, you might want to try it at home. Here is a recipe that all Romans always discuss about: should it be made with garlic or onions? Or none of the two?

INGREDIENTS for 4 PEOPLE: 500g Spaghetti, 125g of Guanciale (Italian Bacon), 1 spoon of Extra-virgin Olive oil, A sprinkle of dry white wine, 400 gr of Peeled tomatoes, A small piece of red pepper, 100 gr of Pecorino cheese, Salt.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the red pepper and Guanciale and cook on a high heat, until golden brown.

Add the wine. Take the pieces of guanciale out and put them aside. Put the tomatoes in pieces and with no seeds (already blanched a little) in the saucepan, make them cook a little, add salt and stir. Take the red pepper out, put the guanciale back in and stir again.

In the meantime, cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water.

Put spaghetti in a plate, add Pecorino cheese and then the sauce, stir.

Do you know how is it called? Spaghetti all'Amatriciana! And you can taste it at another one of our favorite restaurants, I Santori, in the historical center of Rome.

And although Lazio white wines are widely known and appreciated ( like Frascati), don’t be afraid of tasting some red. As the article says, it may not be at the same level as Tuscan wines, but red wine in Lazio is growing in quality and production and it’s the right match for many traditional Roman recipes.

We can certainly suggest some to try with our meal together or you can also choose to go, experience and taste some more during our Wine and Countryside Tour.

See our food, art & fun tour of Rome

See our wine & country tour at the "Castelli Romani"