You can be born Roman, or become Roman. The inspiration for this philosophy comes from the legendary comedic actor Alberto Sordi, who dives into a dish of bucatini all’amatriciana in the film An American in Rome. To experience the wonderful sensation Sordi did, you need to be a little hungry and have the right ingredients on hand.
Guiding us in making the “Roman Holy Trinity” – amatriciana, carbonara, and cacio e pepe – is Nicola Delfino, former chef at Benito al Ghetto, in the center of Rome.
Guanciale yes, pancetta no
When we’re talking about carbonara or amatriciana, forget about stretched or smoked pancetta. The only essential ingredient is guanciale, the cured meat that consists of two parts fat and one-part meat, obtained from the cheek of the pig. Guanciale should be sliced into strips and browned in a pan, without having anything added to it. Also, when you put the meat in the pan, make sure the pan is cold so that the fat doesn’t burn upon contact and become rubbery.
Cook pasta like its risotto
This tip from chef Nicola Delfino will make every sauce thick, creamy, and enveloping. The pasta must be cooked like a risotto, which means cooked for half the specified time in boiling water without salt, and then pan-fried in the sauce, where it finishes cooking. This method makes the sauce adhere to the pasta, enveloping it like a cream. At this point, it’s also essential to keep stirring so that it can cook evenly and allow the released starch to make an emulsion with the sauce.
Now, with these tricks up your sleeve, all you need to do is put them to the test and decide which pasta from the Roman holy trinity is your favorite.
Amatriciana traditional recipe
Ingredients (2 servings):
9 oz. peeled tomatoes
4 oz. guanciale
8 oz. spaghetti or bucatini
Pecorino Romano
salt and pepper
Cut the guanciale into strips and brown them in the frying pan without adding anything else. In a separate pot, bring the water to a boil – don't add salt. Cook the spaghetti in the boiling water for half of the time indicated on the package. In the meantime, blend the peeled tomatoes, add the browned guanciale, add salt, and cook. Drain the spaghetti (but make sure to save some pasta water), combine with the sauce, and mix together. Continue cooking, adding boiled pasta water until the pasta is al dente. Take off the heat, sprinkle with plenty of Pecorino and pepper, and serve piping hot.
Carbonara traditional recipe
Ingredients (2 servings):
3 large egg yolks
¾ cup Pecorino Romano
¾ cup Parmigiano Reggiano
4 oz. guanciale
8. oz spaghetti or short pasta like rigatoni or ruote (wheels)
For this recipe to be a success, it’s essential to pasteurize the egg yolks and use very yellow ones. Start by browning the guanciale until it’s crispy, then take it out of the frying pan and dry it on a sheet of paper towel. Pasteurize the egg yolks in a bain-marie, bringing them to 138°F and mixing them with a whisk. When they reach that temperature, immerse the container in iced water, so it does not exceed 141°F.
Combine the freshly grated cheese with the eggs, mix with the whisk, and add half a glass of sparkling water or wine. The bubbles help both capture the cheese and beat the eggs, preventing the “frittata” effect. In the meantime, cook the pasta in unsalted boiling water. Halfway through the suggested cooking time, drain it and cook it in the frying pan with the leftover guanciale fat, adding ladles of hot pasta water until cooked.
Remove from the heat and add the egg and cheese mixture, the browned guanciale, salt, and pepper. Mix and serve immediately.
Cacio e Pepe traditional recipe
Ingredients (2 servings):
1 cup Pecorino Romano
1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano
8 oz. pasta (spaghetti or tonnarelli)
1 tsp. cornstarch
Different types of salt and pepper
The sworn enemy of this pasta dish is the ball effect caused by the cheese forming into lumps. To prevent this setback, you should grate the cheese well, until it takes on a fine consistency.
In a frying pan, toast 5 or 6 types of pepper. When they’re ready, grind them up in a mortar and pestle or a food processor. Cook the pasta separately in unsalted boiling water. Put the cheese, corn starch and a few ladlefuls of pasta water in another pan. Mix until you create a smooth cream. The cornstarch will help the cheese melt without coagulating. At this point, remove the cheese pan from the heat, add the al dente pasta, a drizzle of oil, pepper, and a handful of cheese, and continue mixing until well combined. Serve immediately.