I love Rome. I love food. So I'm going talk about the amazing food that I enjoyed while living in Rome. I haven't been in Rome since fall of 2004 (insert pout-y face and waahhhh-ing here). I think one reason Rome is known as the Eternal City is because it leaves such a lasting impression on those who have spent time there. I know for me the culture & people of Rome will forever be tattoo-ed in my brain. And of course the food! Below are some of my favorite treats. A couple of them are a little obvious, but oh so good.
Gelato: Don’t confuse it with the water-ice/custard combo Gelati, it’s a completely different animal. Gelato is ice cream’s cooler, better looking older sister. It contains less air, sugar and butterfat than typical American ice cream. This makes for an incredibly dense and rich flavor that practically punches you in the face. But in a good way. There are hundreds of Gelaterias (ice cream shops) in Rome but I did have a few favorites:Bar Pica, directly across from Largo di Torre Argentina (a popular Roman landmark) - My favorite flavor was Stracciatella, vanilla with long thin slivers of ultra rich chocolate running through it. Be still my beating heart.
Gelateria Alberto Pica, in Campo dei Fiori (a famous piazza in Rome) – The coffee/chocolate combo is as close to heaven as one can get without actually having to die.
Gelateria Miami (near the American University of Rome) - Spumoni, Pistachio flavored w/ candied cherries & pistachio bits – this was my lunch the days I didn’t have time to go home & eat! Heavenly!
Pizza: it’s said that Naples has the best pizza in Italy. Having tasted pizza in both Naples and Rome, it’s my opinion that Rome had the superior tasting pie. My favorite was the old standby Pizza Margarita. But I also enjoyed pies with fresh buffalo mozzarella and eggplant topping. I visited countless pizza shops all over the Rome and never met a pizza I didn’t like. With one exception – at a tourist lunch cart near the Coliseum, ew!
Rosemary & olive oil crackers: these crackers were light & airy, similar to Saltines, but contained rosemary and a touch of olive oil. I ate these w/ tuna fish practically everyday for lunch. Not what you would expect someone to eat everyday while in Italy, but very enjoyable! They sell rosemary & olive oil crackers here in the States, but nothing like those babies. I miss them.
And now my favorite. While in Rome I lived on a street called Vaile dei Quattro Venti and I was lucky enough to have an amazing restaurant right next door to my apartment. Bruno had truly delicious food. Their bruschetta was the best I've ever tasted, so fresh! When you bit into the toasty bread and sweet tomato topping the luscious olive oil would drip directly down your chin (aahhh remember that Jenn?). They also had a tortellini on the menu named after the street. It was a cheese tortellini in a light Parmesan cream sauce with fresh peas and chunks of smoky prosciutto. I was hooked. When I came home I searched for the recipe and found it! This recipe doesn’t exactly replicate Bruno’s recipe, but it’s pretty darn close.Tortellini ai Quattro Venti
(serves 2)
12 ounces cheese tortellini
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 lb prosciutto*, sliced into thin strips
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Parmesan
3/4 cup peas (I use frozen)
Salt and pepper to taste
*Vegetarians can substitute mushrooms for the prosciutto if desired
Cook tortellini according to directions on the package. Save 1/4 cup of pasta water while draining and set aside. Melt butter in skillet and cook garlic for 1 minute. Add prosciutto and cook for 2 minutes. Add heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Cook until cream is reduced by half. Stir in 1/4 cup Parmesan and peas. Stir in reserved pasta water and tortellini and toss to coat.
P.S. It just so happens that I recently enjoyed this tortellini on my birthday at Tuscany, a semi-new Italian restaurant in Northeast Philly located on Rhawn & the Blvd. The cream sauce is a little heavier than both the above recipe and Bruno's, but was very tasty. And Tuscany was great; nice atmosphere, inexpensive & a BYOB (gotta love a BYOB!).
