Roman Noodles
Creamy, meaty, spicy, cheesy - in all the right places.
Rome offers all the Italian classics. There’s an eternal mix of history, archeology, and religious culture sprinkled through every alley in this city. Yes, all of these elements intrigued me as we planned our Italian travels but I had one particular thing on my mind. I came for the pasta.
I won’t deny that we ate great pasta in SF. From the artisanal fusilli with sea urchin at La Ciccia to the Carlesimo - a rigatoncelli with pancetta and spicy sun dried tomato cream - at Trattoria Contadina, we’ve been lucky to be surrounded by really amazing dishes in the city. And don’t get me started on Cotogna’s ravioli. But the pasta in Rome was purely on a different level. Preparations were simple, flavors were divine. And there’s a distinct way the sauce clung to the noodle that offered a juiciness without leaving the dish wet and soupy.
We tried the four renowned Roman pasta dishes - Gricia, Cacio e Pepe, Carbonara, and Amatriciana - many times during our stay. But I’m here to fan girl over the two that exemplified the culinary peak of pasta.
Amatriciana
Starting off with my personal fav - there is something enchanting about pasta all’Amatriciana. The glutinous combination of guanciale - i.e. pig jowl - pecorino and tomatoes fuse into a sauce that perfectly coats the slick noodle. The flavors ooze with umami and a subtle spicy aftertaste. It’s really everything I want in a pasta - acidic, zesty, and very well-seasoned. Finding the best amatriciana in Rome was no easy feat. For a stronger tomato and chili flavor, I’d go with the amatricana at Rimessa Roscioli. The Roscioli family is infamous for their carbonara in Rome - it claims one of the best in Italy - but I’m here to tell you that their smaller wine-focused restaurant Rimessa Roscioli makes a mean amatriciana. The juicy sauce coated a flat tagliatelle-esque noodle which was different but it worked. The portions were small so we ordered multiple.
For the guanicale lovers of the world, the amatriciana at Puntarella Ristorante was golden. A bed of thick guanicale ribbons danced over chewy bucatini. A stronger pepper spice played well with the meat, offering a balance that cut the fatty flavor. The noodle itself way also very impressive. I’m a short noodle girl through and through, as it’s easy to stab and scoop up the sauce. But the way the velvety sauce clung to this noodle here was extraordinary.
While not a noodle, it would be sinful to not call out the amatriciana suppli from Supplizio. This small, counter-service bistro serves one item - suppli, a true Roman delicacy. And they serve it very well. I first got hooked on suppli from our local SF spot Roma Antica so when I found this place in Rome, I was ecstatic. The amatriciana suppli was a real standout. Juicy pieces of guanicale blended with mozzarella and tomato. Everything melted together in a plump, crunchy ball of perfection.
Carbonara
The simple combination of eggs, cheese, cured pork, black pepper, and noodles creates a mouthwatering luxury, known worldwide as carbonara. How these ingredients come together is an art that only Romans have truly perfected, in my humble opinion. I sought out some expertise for this bit. I needed a carbonara loyalist to recount his experience while in Rome. He isn’t Italian but he’s a devout carbonara enthusiast with a dynamic palate. Hello Michael Epstein.
When asked to state the first word that comes to mind when Michael hears carbonara, “happiness” projected from his voice with clear conviction. For Michael, carbonara is a pure indulgence, like a Thanksgiving meal you look forward to starting November 1. The plump feeling post-meal is inevitable but you’re incredibly fulfilled.
With a creamy texture that resembles the taste of parmesan, the flavor lingers on the tastebuds. You don’t have to eat a lot of carbonara to feel full, yet your fork continues to search for the next twirl of the noodle because you simply can’t get enough. Without question, Michael’s favorite carbonara in Rome came from Ristorante La Tavernaccia Da Bruno. The standout was the juicy pieces of guanicale. Sliced in large rectangular chunks, the guanicale renders a unique saltiness in the plate that balanced the creamy flavors. Then came the sauce. There’s some secret combination of egg yolks, cheese and black pepper that creates a luring stickiness. It’s as if the sauce becomes one with the noodle (his words). It’s true culinary nirvana.
Michael and I both agree that these two dishes are in fact hard to replicate back in the states. While we long for the inventive pasta dishes at Cotogna or Rich Table, the simple pasta dishes in Rome are just incomparable. For that reason, we will always find any excuse to fly through Rome on our next European adventure, just to be served a two hearty bowls of our favorite Italian pasta.
