Roman Food Guide: Carbonara, Cacio e Pepe & the Jewish-Roman Kitchen

Roman cooking is one of Italy’s most distinctive regional traditions. It is rooted in cucina povera - the working-class and abattoir traditions of Testaccio - and defined by a small number of pasta dishes executed with unusual precision. Understanding Rome’s food means understanding that five pasta preparations dominate the trattoria menu, and that the question is not which restaurant serves them but which one serves them correctly.

The Five Pastas

Cacio e pepe - Spaghetti (or tonnarelli) with Pecorino Romano, black pepper, and pasta water. No cream, no butter beyond what forms in the sauce. The technique is the challenge: the cheese must emulsify without clumping. When made correctly, it is extraordinary in its simplicity. The best versions use 24-month aged Pecorino Romano from Lazio. Expect to pay approximately €12–15 at a good trattoria as of 2026.

Carbonara - Rigatoni or spaghetti with guanciale (cured pork cheek), egg yolk, Pecorino Romano, and black pepper. No cream. The guanciale should come from pigs raised in Amatrice or Norcia; the timing of adding the egg to the hot pasta is the critical step. Found everywhere in Rome; made correctly in fewer places. Approximately €12–16 at quality trattorias.

Amatriciana - Bucatini (thick hollow spaghetti) or rigatoni with guanciale, San Marzano tomatoes, Pecorino Romano, and a touch of chilli. Named for the town of Amatrice (largely destroyed by the 2016 earthquake). The guanciale must be rendered slowly until the fat is translucent. Approximately €11–15 at trattorias.

Gricia - The “white amatriciana,” without tomatoes. Rigatoni with guanciale, Pecorino Romano, and black pepper. The oldest of the four major pastas; less commonly found on menus but simpler and excellent. If you see it, order it. Approximately €12–14.

Cacio e uova - A frittata-style pasta found in the Jewish Ghetto, less widely served than the four above. The egg is beaten with cheese and folded into the pasta, creating a richer preparation than carbonara.

Where to Eat the Pastas

Roscioli Salumeria con Cucina (Via dei Giubbonari 21, Centro Storico) - A combined deli, wine bar, and restaurant. The carbonara here is consistently ranked among the best in the city. Pasta dishes approximately €16–20. The wine list runs to 3,000 labels. Reservations essential - book at least a week ahead. Closed Sunday.

Da Felice a Testaccio (Via Mastro Giorgio 29, Testaccio) - A Testaccio institution since 1936. The cacio e pepe is made tableside with practiced theatricality. Pasta approximately €12–15. Traditional service. Reserve 3–4 days ahead. Closed Sunday dinner and Monday.

Flavio al Velavevodetto (Via di Monte Testaccio 97, Testaccio) - Built into Monte Testaccio, the ancient hill of broken amphorae. Excellent amatriciana and gricia. Pasta approximately €11–13. One of the best-value trattorias in central Rome. Open daily.

Tonnarello (Via della Paglia 77, Trastevere) - Specialises in fresh tonnarelli pasta. Consistent cacio e pepe. Pasta approximately €11–14. Outdoor seating on a quiet Trastevere street. Walk-ins possible at lunch; reserve for dinner.

Trattoria Da Teo (Piazza dei Ponziani 7a, Trastevere) - Neighbourhood trattoria with excellent seasonal Roman cooking. Pasta approximately €12–14. The fried artichokes (November–April) are exceptional. Reserve a few days ahead.

Testaccio: The Spiritual Home of Roman Cooking

The working-class neighbourhood south of the Palatine Hill is where Roman food is most authentic. The neighbourhood was built around the mattatoio (slaughterhouse, now a contemporary art space), and the tradition of quinto quarto (fifth quarter - offal) cooking developed here among workers who were paid partly in cuts of meat the wealthy wouldn’t eat.

Coda alla vaccinara - Oxtail braised with tomato, celery, pine nuts, and raisins. Slow-cooked for hours. The signature quinto quarto dish. Approximately €16–20 at Testaccio trattorias.

Rigatoni con la pajata - Pasta with veal intestines containing the mother’s milk (chyme). Confronting but deeply flavoured. Almost exclusively found in Testaccio. Approximately €14–16.

Trippa alla romana - Tripe braised in tomato sauce with mint and Pecorino Romano. More accessible than pajata. Widely available across Rome. Approximately €10–14.

Checchino dal 1887 (Via di Monte Testaccio 30) is Rome’s most famous offal restaurant - mains approximately €18–25. Reservations essential, especially for weekend dinners.

The Testaccio Market (Piazza Testaccio, open Monday–Saturday 7am–3:30pm) is the best food market in Rome. Fresh produce, aged cheeses, cured meats, and several street food stalls - the supplì at Supplizio (approximately €3 each) and trapizzino (stuffed pizza pockets, approximately €3.50) here are excellent. For the full picture, join a guided food tour of Testaccio and Trastevere - the market stalls and family trattorias that a guide takes you to are different from the ones you’d find on your own.

Campo de’ Fiori (Piazza Campo de’ Fiori) - Prettier than Testaccio but more tourist-facing. Produce and flowers in the morning, restaurants in the evening. Prices are approximately 20–30% higher than Testaccio.

Mercato di Via Catania (Piazza Alessandria, Trieste neighbourhood) - A neighbourhood market away from the tourist zone. Lower prices, used mainly by locals. Open Monday–Saturday mornings.

Jewish-Roman Cooking

The Jewish Ghetto neighbourhood near Largo di Torre Argentina has its own culinary tradition, distinct from the rest of Roman cooking and dating back over 2,000 years.

Carciofi alla giudia - Artichokes deep-fried whole until every leaf is crisp and golden. The technique requires a specific variety (mammola) and double-frying. Available November through April. Approximately €8–12 per artichoke.

Baccalà in pastella - Salt cod in a light batter, fried golden. A Friday tradition. Approximately €12–15 as a main course.

Torta di ricotta e visciole - Ricotta and sour cherry tart. The traditional dessert. Approximately €5–7 per slice at Pasticceria Boccione (Via del Portico d’Ottavia 1 - open since the 1800s, no sign outside, just a window).

Nonna Betta (Via del Portico d’Ottavia 16) - Carciofi alla giudia approximately €10, pasta approximately €13–16. Book 2–3 days ahead. Ba’Ghetto (Via del Portico d’Ottavia 57) - Kosher Roman cuisine, mains approximately €15–20.

Street Food

Supplì - Fried rice balls with a tomato-ragù rice filling and a mozzarella centre that stretches when you break them open (hence the name supplì al telefono - “telephone-wire supplì”). Available from street vendors and trattoria windows throughout the city. Approximately €2–3 each.

Trapizzino - Invented in 2008 by Stefano Callegari: a triangular pizza pocket made from white pizza dough, stuffed with slow-braised fillings (chicken cacciatore, oxtail, parmigiana). The original Trapizzino stand is at the Testaccio Market; outlets now exist across the city. Approximately €3–4 each.

Pizza al taglio - Pizza sold by weight from a rectangular tray, cut with scissors. Bonci Pizzarium (Via della Meloria 43, near the Vatican) is widely considered the best in Rome - slices from approximately €3–5 depending on weight and topping. Open 11am–10pm, closed Sunday.

Gelato

Genuine artisan gelato is stored in covered metal containers, not piled high in bright mounds. A small cup (2 flavours) costs approximately €3–4 at quality gelaterias.

Fatamorgana (Via Lago di Lesina, Flaminio - the original location) - The best in Rome for unusual flavours: tobacco-chocolate, basil-walnut-honey, and seasonal fruit. Small cup approximately €3.50.

Fior di Luna (Via della Lungaretta 96, Trastevere) - Small-batch gelato with seasonal ingredients. The pistachio and dark chocolate are excellent. Small cup approximately €3.

Giolitti (Via degli Uffici del Vicario 40, near the Pantheon) - Open since 1900. Tourist-popular but genuinely good. Small cup approximately €3.50. Open until midnight.

Come il Latte (Via Silvio Spaventa 24, near Termini) - One of the few quality gelaterias near Termini. Small cup approximately €3.

Wine

Lazio produces mostly white wines. Frascati (from the Castelli Romani hills south of Rome) is the house white at most trattorias - dry, light, good with pasta. A glass at a trattoria costs approximately €4–6. Est! Est!! Est!!! from Montefiascone (near Orvieto) is another Lazio white worth trying. For reds, Rome trattorias typically serve wines from other regions - Montepulciano d’Abruzzo and Nero d’Avola are common house reds (approximately €4–6 per glass).

Practical Eating Tips

• The coperto (bread and cover charge) of approximately €2–3 per person is standard and legal
• Lunch is typically 12:30pm–2:30pm, dinner 7:30pm–10:30pm. Many trattorias close between meals
• A full trattoria meal (primo, secondo, contorno, wine, coperto) costs approximately €35–50 per person
• Espresso at the bar: approximately €1.20–1.50. Sitting at a table costs more (approximately €2.50–4) - this is normal, not a surcharge
• Tipping is not expected but rounding up or leaving €1–2 is appreciated
• Avoid restaurants with photographs on menus near the Colosseum, Vatican, and Trevi Fountain - they are almost uniformly overpriced. Any restaurant employing a tout outside is a warning sign. Walk 5 minutes in any direction for better food at lower prices.
• Testaccio, Trastevere, and Pigneto have the best-value trattorias. Jewish Ghetto restaurants (Via del Portico d’Ottavia) are also excellent.

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For the full Rome guide - sights, hotels, and neighbourhood breakdown: Rome travel guide. For plant-based options: vegan guide to Rome. For the pasta traditions covered here across all Italian regions: Italian pasta guide. For Rome food and guided tours of Testaccio: Rome things to do.