"Rome "

As the capital both of Italy and of the ancient Roman empire, Rome comes, of course, first in our list of favorite sights in Italy. One of the most famous historic monuments is probably the Colosseum, the ancient gladiator’s stadium where all staged fights were taking place. The second most important monument is St. Peter Basilique in the independent city-state of Vatican. St. Peter Basilique is the seat of the Pope, head of the Roman Catholic Church.

Food in Rome

1. Supplì at I Supplì

Any Roman will agree, the best way to whet your appetite before digging into a personal pizza is with fritti: deep-fried goodies that are tasty, comforting and oh-so-satisfying. A classic choice is the supplì, a fried rice-ball mixed with ragù and mozzarella and cooked to perfection. Try it at I Supplì, a takeaway joint in Trastevere that makes delicious variations.

2. Pizza al taglio at Bonci Pizzarium

Each region of Italy has its preferred street food, and in Rome it is certainly pizza by the slice (al taglio). While Romans tend to stick to simple pairings (tomato sauce with parsley, focaccia with rosemary and sea salt), Gabriele Bonci has inaugurated a whole new world of flavours at Bonci Pizzarium. His creative combinations span all flavours and shades of the rainbow: figs with Parmesan, pumpkin cream with mozzarella and pancetta… Be sure to order a selection of slices for the best experience.

3. Carbonara

Many dishes in Rome inspire passionate debate and carbonara is the focus of the most spirited ones. Every cook and eater has very strong opinions about the dish’s origins and ingredients and is totally inflexible when confronted with variations. There’s one thing all Italians agree on however: carbonara should never have cream added to it. 

Generally speaking, the dish is made with spaghetti or rigatoni, guanciale or pancetta, egg yolk or a whole egg, Pecorino Romano or a combination of Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano, and black pepper. The eggs are gently heated to create a thickened sauce, which should cling to the pasta for a silky and non-scrambled effect.