Rome celebrates its 2,770 Birthday!
I will never reach the age Rome has, but every year I very much look forward to the celebrations.
As always, the procession of the historical groups is the highlight of the celebrations in Rome, which take place on April 21, the city’s official birthday. And it is a real journey through time, from 753 BC to the fourth century. The parade will be opened, as usual, by the goddess Roma and the “Gruppo Storico Romano.”
This time of the year is the occasion to sit at one of the many typical restaurants in Rome and taste local dishes, such as “Spaghetti alla carbonara” or “Carciofi alla giudia.”
I work as an Executive Product Development Chef at the LSG Sky Chefs facility in Rome, and I am happy to share some recipes with you. Please see below:
Spaghetti alla carbonara
This is a typical first dish of the Lazio region of Italy, in particular of the city of Rome. The exact origin is uncertain. But the name could derive from the “Carbonari,” meaning the workers who produce coal in Rome. This dish is really simple to prepare: it consists of ingredients such as cheese, bacon and pepper.
Recipe:
- 400 gr Spaghetti
- 150 gr bacon
- 100 gr grated pecorino romano
- 1 spoon extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- Pepe nero macinato (black pepper)
Carciofi alla giudia
Artichokes are a typical dish of the Jewish-Roman cuisine. The original recipe consists basically of a fried artichoke. To make this recipe you need to strictly use “Cimaroli” (also known as violets) artichokes, as they are the best and produced between Ladispoli and Civitavecchia. This type of artichoke is round, particularly tender and, above all, free of thorns. Thanks to the latter feature, the artichokes, once cooked, can be consumed in their entirety without discarding anything.
Recipe:
- 12 large artichokes of the sort called Cimaroli
- 1 lemon
- Extra-virgin olive oil — enough to fry the artichokes submerged
- salt
- black pepper
Saltimbocca alla Romana
Typical Roman dish prepared with veal, ham, sage and white wine.
Recipe:
- 4 slices of veal
- 4 slices of Parma ham
- 4 sage leaves
- 30 grams of butter
- 1/2 cup white wine
- salt
- pepper
Enjoy the taste of Rome!
Ciao,
Stefano Orso