Top 10 Rome Foods You Need to Try

Eat your heart out with some of these fantastic Rome foods.

: you're in Italy now and most of the best things to eat will be pasta-based. From crunchy fried artichokes to cheesy pasta dishes, check out our list of classic Rome foods below.

Carbonara

This pasta is undoubtedly one of Rome's best claims to culinary fame, however the recipe has been chopped and changed in recent years. Traditional carbonara uses raw eggs instead of a cream-based sauce and is served with guanciale (cured pork jowl) or pancetta. Finished off with a sprinkling of Pecorino Romana cheese, it's a dish that even the fussiest child will love.

Bucatini all'Amatriciana

This classic dish uses bucatini pasta, a thicker, grown up version of spaghetti pasta which is hollow all the way through. Combining peppers, guanciale or pancetta, tomatoes and cheese, it's a distinctive recipe that sounds like it should sound like any old bolognaise but goes so much further.

Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe

This simple dish is living proof that sometimes less is more when it comes to cooking. This pasta dish is beloved by many in Rome and combines pasta, black pepper and Pecorino Romano cheese to create the ultimate comfort food.

Carciofi alla Giudiá

Popularised by the Jewish community in Rome, fried artichokes are a well-loved delicacy and boom in popularity when they come into season in the summer. Deep-fried in olive oil until every leaf has crisped over, they wind up looking similar to flowers.

Pizza Bianca

Pizza Bianca is a great example of Roman street food and can be mistaken at a first glance for foccacia. These pale, circular discs can be filled with cheese or prosciutto and are chewy in texture, baken in the oven and served piping hot. Most bakeries will sell their own versions, so keep an eye out for the queues spilling out onto the street for a great bite.

Suppli

Similar to arancini, these deep fried rice balls are served usually as an appetiser to a meal. Rice flavoured usually with meat of some kind is packed around a ball of mozzarella and fried, making each bite a decadent, gooey one.

Fiori di Zucca Fritti

Another fried appetiser on the list, zucchini flowers are everywhere in Rome and can be used as garnishes as well as dishes all of their own. Variations include stuffing them with mozzarella and anchovies for a more filling dish - forget about the cholesterol and indulge yourself.

Quinto Quarto

While this might not be an option for more squeamish eaters, quinto quarto - or offal - is an important part of Roman cooking. Think of everything that you don't usually see in a supermarket: intestines, tripe, lungs, heart, kidneys. The Romans are masters of offal cooking and it's worth giving a dish a go, if only to say that you've had it.

Veal Saltimbocca alla Romana

This dish is so delicious that it's name includes the phrase saltimbocca, or 'jump into your mouth'. Unlike the many pasta dishes on this list, it's a meat dish which consists of a medallion of veal wrapped in prosciutto and sage, then marinated in white wine and fried.

Pecorino Romano

Many Roman pasta dishes incorporate this hard, sharp cheese, made of sheep's milk and grated for an extra kick. As one of the oldest cheeses in Italy, it's usually made in Sardinia and traditionally was a key component of a meal for ancient Roman soldiers.