Lucci Hotel Rome Blog

Easy to cook typical Roman food.

Rome does not have only monuments, history, squares and statues: the eternal city has a long tradition of regional food.

The roman cuisine is based on simple fresh ingredients and it is not very complicated to achieve a good result even for a beginner. Now try some of these mouthwatering recipes according to the traditional roman way.

Before you begin I would suggest a couple of things :

First of all: it’s important having Italian ingredients.

Second. Relax your mind while you are cooking with some music that is going to help your fantasy.

And you may want to pour yourself a glass of good regional Latium wine  to put yourself in the mood.

Do not forget a cute apron, possibly with the map of Italy and its wines and foods scattered around it.

 

 

Now let’s start with fried “antipasti” (appetizers)

Called “Supplì”

The suppli are oval shaped rice balls. You will need 500 gr of rice, 180 gr of butter, 1 carrot and a branch of celery, 50gr of minced beef, 50gr of pork, mozzarella cut in small squares, flour, oil to fry, crumble bread, one glass of white wine.

In the meantime prepare the tomato sauce . Put some oil and some onion in a pan and when the onion gets some colour add the meat , the carrot and celery which you first cut in your mixer and wash down with the wine, then add the sauce and only a little of salt. Pour the rice and cook for at least 40 minutes on very low gas, mixing and adding water whenever necessary.

Leave to get cold. Now prepare the beaten egg and start to do the rice ball. Put the square of mozzarella in the middle of your rice ball, the size of an egg , pass it into flour and then crumble bread and finally, fry your suppli in scalding oil for a couple minutes and allow it to take a nice golden colour. You will certainly want to sample the supplì in a good restaurant in Rome on your next trip !

 

 

Now let’s go on with the “Primo” (First course)

Bucatini all’Amatriciana

150 gr of smoked bacon(more precisely "guanciale" which you may find in your local italian deli)  cut in small pieces, olive’s oil, one chilli, two cloves of garlic, two onions, tomato sauce, pecorino and parmigiano.

While the bucatini are cooking, brown garlic and chilli. Then take out the garlic and put the onions and when is it turns golden then add the bacon. Let the bacon cook for a couple of minutes wash down the wine and when it is dry off add the tomato’s sauce.

When the pasta is ready put all together and add pecorino and parmigiano. Enjoy !

 

And then here is our suggestion of a “Secondo” to carry on (Second course, you may have guessed…)

Abbacchio al Forno

1kg of lamb, 3kg of potatoes, rosemary, half glass of white wine, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper.

Season the lamb with garlic and rosemary, add salt, pepper, swab with oil e put in a roasting pan.

 

 

 

Put in the oven with the wine and then add the potatoes cut in a small pieces.

After 10 minutes put the remaining garlic and rosemary and cook for another 30 minutes.

What wine to accompany ? Being in Rome and Latium, I would suggest a red Frascati DOP (the initials stand for Di Origine Protetta, which translated means it is a very good wine)

And to finish off nicely, a nice dessert !

 

Maritozzi alla Romana (biscuits)

4 eggs, 600gr of flour, 100 gr of dough, 200gr of sultanas, 100 gr sugar, 100 gr of orange rind, 100 gr of pine- kernels and 2 glasses of olive oil.

Knead the dough with 200 gr of flour, two eggs, 1 glass of oil, and a pinch of salt. Let the mixture stand for 8 hours in a warm place. When the 8 hours have elapsed, mix the remaining flour, the egg and oil, sugar, salt, orange rind and sultanas in a little hot water. Shape the biscuits in an oval size or in a round ball and leave them for another 7 hours. Eventually, oil the surface you will use to cook them and you can put them in the oven on a very high temperature (250 °C) for about 7 minutes. Take them out, add sugar on top, they are ready!

What wine to accompany your dessert ? My suggestion is a Frascati cannellino. (Frascati is a small town up in the hills close to Rome and the region is known as Castelli Romani). If you happen to be in Rome, you can taste them  in the best Rome wine bars.

You love italian food and to cook too ? then see here for more italian cooking !

And for your next trip to Rome, we suggest a nice comfortable hotel in central Rome such as My Hotel Rome.