There are thousands of typical Roman recipes, why in the kitchen of Rome there is the whole immense history of Rome: the rich city of kings through which, among many others, the first Etruscans who were a people of merchants, then the emperors who were the first to bring rich foods, spices, oil and wine to their tables, without forgetting the popes who with their monks also managed vineyards and farms and noble gentlemen of the Renaissance sophisticated for their taste at the table as for life and art. But Rome was and is above all a crossroads of peoples and cultures: it is the city of the people, and also for this reason its traditional peasant cuisine, simple ingredients and scraps (think about the fifth quarter!) sublimated in amazing recipes is unrivaled.
To remind us of this is a new beautiful book: The taste of Rome (Guido Tommasi Publisher) written by the journalist Katie Speak with the photographer Kristina Gill. Two Americans who let themselves be adopted by the capital precisely because they fell in love with its cuisine with a unique character, and which now tell in a unique way.
The taste of Rome it is not just a recipe book, but a history book full of stories. A volume that takes us through Rome from the Circus Maximus in Testaccio to the former ghetto passing by shops, markets, taverns and restaurants, and which is divided into as many chapters as there are courses for a nice meal, from appetizers to desserts (with one plus one for pizzas and leavened products and another for cocktails). So it returns a faithful food and wine portrait of the capital and shows another great beauty, made of tradition but also many novelties, among classic and timeless dishes such as bacon and egg or the cacio e pepe passing through street food, and then lots of Jewish cuisine with examples of an inclination fusion ante litteram which has remained in the DNA of the Capitoline table.
Among the recipes in the book we have chosen three as examples: a “summer” amatriciana made with fresh tomatoes (instead of peeled tomatoes), spaghetti with chicory and bottarga which represent the perfect union between the Roman tradition of eating chicory and that imported by Libyan Jews fleeing in the 60s to embellish the dishes with grated mullet roe, and the “vignarola”one of the many fresh and tasty side dishes of Roman cuisine, but also a triumph of spring.
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Kristina Gill1/3Spaghetti with chicory and bottarga
Ingredients for 4: 500 g of chicory, 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil plus one to taste, 3 crushed cloves of garlic, 2 teaspoons of chilli powder or flakes, 500 g of spaghetti, 30 g of pecorino romano, 1 piece of bottarga.
Procediments: bring abundant water to a boil, add salt and, when the salt is dissolved, blanch the chicory for a minute, until it becomes tender. Drain it, let it cool in the colander (about 10 minutes), then squeeze it to remove excess water and cut it coarsely. Set aside.
In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and, when it is hot, brown the garlic. Add the chilli and cook for about 30 seconds to release the aromas, then sauté the chicory in a pan for 10 minutes until the leaves are dark.
Meanwhile, boil the pasta al dente, drain and transfer it to a spaghetti bowl. Add the chicory and pecorino (if you like) and mix well adding extra virgin olive oil to taste. Serve the spaghetti and grate the bottarga on each portion. \ -
Kristina Gill2/3Summer Amatriciana
Ingredients for 4: 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, 90 g of bacon cut into matchstick, 1 clove of crushed garlic, 750 g of cherry tomatoes cut in half, 6-8 leaves of fresh basil, salt, 500 g of short ribbed pasta, 55 g of grated pecorino romano, pepper.
Method: in a small pan heat a teaspoon of olive oil over low heat and, when hot, brown the bacon for 10 minutes, always turning until golden and crunchy. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon onto absorbent paper, then remove half of the fat from the pan.
In the same pan, brown the garlic, then add the tomatoes and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes until they lose shape. Add the basil.
Cook the pasta al dente and drain keeping the cooking water. Transfer the pasta to the pan and season it. Add cooking water to almost cover the pasta, bring to a boil and finish cooking until ready. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in half the pecorino, then add half the bacon and mix. Serve and garnish each portion with a little pecorino and a little bacon. -
Kristina Gill3/3Vignarola
Ingredients for 4: 250 g of shelled broad beans, 60 ml extra virgin olive oil plus more as needed, 110 g of diced bacon or bacon, 2 crushed garlic cloves, 4 young and tender artichokes, peeled and cut into quarters, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper , 6 sprigs of fresh mint, 125 ml of dry white wine, water or vegetable broth, 250 g of fresh peas.
Method: In a medium bowl, prepare an ice and water bath. Blanch the beans in unsalted boiling water for about a minute. Drain the beans and immediately plunge them into the ice and water bath. Remove the outer skins and set aside.
In a large pan, heat the oil over low heat and, when it is hot, brown the bacon until the fat becomes transparent. Add the garlic, wait for it to be fragrant, drain the artichokes and add them to the bacon together with a generous pinch of salt, pepper and half of the mint. Jumbled up. Deglaze with the white wine over high heat, then pour water or broth to cover the artichokes up to half. Continue cooking until the artichokes begin to soften, for 10-12 minutes, then add the peas, broad beans and spring onions. Salt and pepper again until the peas are soft (about 10 minutes), stirring often and adding broth or water to never let the vegetables dry out.
Add the romaine lettuce, stir to make everything uniform and cook for another 5 minutes or more until all the ingredients are tender and well cooked. Remove the pan from the heat, finish with the lemon juice and, if you like, with the remaining mint. Serve the winemaker warm or at room temperature, or the day after.
Source: Vanity Fair
