Tradition holds that the four essential pastas of Rome, Italy, are Amatriciana, Cacio e Pepe, Carbonara, and Gricia. The primary macaroni shape is usually spaghetti, but rigatoni, bucatini, or mezze maniche (half rigatoni) also work well and are often used, depending, of course, on the neighborhood or the trattoria, sometimes both.
Three of the pasta dishes are made with guanciale, the delicious cured pig jowl that especially enlivens Carbonara, Amatriciana, and Gricia. Carbonara adds a sauce composed of raw egg, pecorino romano cheese, and freshly ground black pepper. Gricia is a combination of pasta, guanciale, pepper, and pecorino romano. Amatriciana adds tomatoes. Cacio e Pepe is a meatless treasure, bringing together a simple sauce of pecorino romano and black pepper.
kAm%96 23@G6 A2C28C2A9 9:89=:89ED ;FDE @?6 2DA64E @7 36:?8 23=6 E@ ECF=J F?56CDE2?5 2?5 2AAC64:2E6 E96 56=:4:@FD 7=2G@CD @7 #@>2? 7@@5] t?E6C 2? p>6C:42? @7 xE2=:2? 56D46?E] pE D@>6 A@:?E 😕 96C =:76[ }6H y6CD6J’D z2E:6 !2C=2 >256 2 =F46 2D 2 4F=:?2CJ 8F:56 E@ E96 >@DE H@?56C7F= 7@@5D J@F 42? 7:?5 😕 E96 tE6C?2= r:EJ] !2C=2 92D 2=D@ HC:EE6? 2 ?F>36C @7 3@@@DE C646?E=J “u@@5 ~7 %96 xE2=:2? xD=2?5D]”k^Am
kAmp7E6C EH@ 564256D @7 =625:?8 D>2== 8C@FAD @7 EC2G6=6CD 2C@F?5 #@>6 2?5 96=A:?8 E96> 6IA6C:6?46 :ED 4F=:?2CJ 56=:89ED[ !2C=2 92D ?@H AF3=:D965 96C =2E6DE 3@@<] %96 AC@7FD6=J :==FDEC2E65 bda\A286 G@=F>6 😀 E:E=65i “#@>6i p rF=:?2CJ w:DE@CJ[ r@@<3@@<[ 2?5 u:6=5 vF:56 E@ u=2G@CD E92E qF:=E 2 r:EJ]”k^Am
kAm!2C=2 3642>6 6I4:E65 23@FE E96 4:EJ EH@ 564256D 28@ 27E6C 2 G:D:E H9:=6 D96 H2D 😕 9:89 D49@@=] pD D96 HC:E6D 😕 E96 3@@<[ “x =@G65 #@>6 :>>65:2E6=J – 6G6CJ D:?8=6 5:D@C:6?E:?8 D64@?5 @7 :E – AC64:D6=J 3642FD6 @7 :ED 492@D] x 564:565 C:89E E96? 2?5 E96C6 E92E x H@F=5 >@G6 E@ E9:D 964E:4 2?5 4@?EC25:4E@CJ 4:EJ @?6 52J[” H9:49 D96 5:5 27E6C 8C25F2E:?8 7C@> 4@==686]k^Am
kAm%96 3@@< :?4=F56D 2 4F=:?2CJ ;@FC?6J E9C@F89 E96 9:DE@CJ @7 #@>6[ 2D H6== 2D 2 8=@DD2CJ @7 :>A@CE2?E :?8C65:6?ED] %96C6 2C6 >@C6 E92? “_ C64:A6D[ A6CD@?2= DE@C:6D 2?5 56E2:=D 23@FE E96 5:D9 36:?8 9:89=:89E65[ 2?5 96=A7F= >2AD 2?5 F?:BF6 5C2H:?8D] r92AE6C 9625:?8D CF? E96 >6?F 82>FE 2?5 46=63C2E6 7C:65 D?2462E 2?5 @772=j G686E23=6D[ D2=25D 2?5 D:56Dj A:KK2 2?5 3C625Dj 2?5 56DD6CED] !2C=2 5:D4FDD6D 7@@5 EC25:E:@?D[ A@AF=2C 36G6C286D[ :?4=F5:?8 H:?6D[ 2?5 9@H #@>2?D E96>D6=G6D D66 E96:C 4:EJ’D 7@@5 EC25:E:@?D]k^Am
kAm~? (65?6D52J[ }@G] `h[ !2C=2 H:== E2=< 23@FE 96C =@G6 7@C #@>6 2E 2 DA64:2= 6G6?E 2E #6DE2FC2?E u:@C6==2[ H9:49 😀 =@42E65 😕 E96 #@496DE6C !F3=:4 |2C<6E 2E ag_ }@CE9 &?:@? $E] 😕 ?62C3J #@496DE6C] p >F=E:\4@FCD6 5:??6C @7 C64:A6D 7C@> E96 3@@< H:== 36 D6CG65 H9:=6 !2C=2 E23=6 9@AD E@ 492E H:E9 72?D 2?5 D:8? 4@A:6D @7 96C ?6H 4F=:?2CJ 9:DE@CJ 3@@<[ H9:49 😀 :?4=F565 😕 E96 AC:46 @7 Sgd A6C A6CD@?]k^Am
kAm%96 @442D:@? @776CD 2 F?:BF6 @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ 6?;@J D@>6 56=:4:@FD xE2=:2? 7@@5 2?5 E2=< E@ !2C=2 23@FE 96C 25G6?EFC6D 😕 #@>6] #6D6CG2E:@?D 2C6 C6BF:C65 7@C D62E:?8D[ H9:49 DE2CE 2E d A]>] 2?5 CF? E9C@F89 gicd A]>] %96J 42? 36 >256 3J 42==:?8 E96 C6DE2FC2?E 2E dgd\cbc\df_d]k^Am
Michael Calleri reviews movies for the Niagara Gazette and the Lockport Union-Sun & Journal and also contributes features about the arts, food, and culture.
Dining and Cooking