In the 1400s Spain brought rice to Italy. Risotto was born by putting that rice into soup. At the time, famine struck, and the new food, rice and risotto, quickly became popular. But…many rice fields were deliberately destroyed. Rice was mistakenly thought to cause malaria.
Italy
Roman Style Pollo alla cacciatora (Braised Chicken with Garlic & Herb) / Italy
This is a dish that has its roots in Italian hunters. It is famous for its red cacciatora with tomatoes, but this is the Roman style without tomatoes. I had it with a local recipe. It goes well with bread and rice, of course.
Spaghetti alla Carbonara / Italy
The carbonara, made from an authentic Roman recipe, was unlike anything I’ve ever had before. It’s probably because of the essential ingredient, pecorino romano. And while there are many theories about the history of carbonara, I was able to predict the history of carbonara after researching and making all of the dishes that are very similar.
Amatriciana (Mother of Carbonara) / Italy
Like Cacio e pepe and Carbonara, it is one of the three major pasta dishes in Rome. I made it using a local recipe.
Pasta alla gricia (Father of Carbonara) / Italy
This dish is the father of carbonara, I felt. Roman pasta is famous for Cacio e pepe, Amatriciana and Carbonara; Pasta alla gricia is Amatriciana minus the tomatoes. I was able to enjoy the local recipe.
Cacio e pepe (Ancestors of Carbonara) / Italy
This is the most important pasta dish that people in Rome consider to be the most important. The people of Rome will judge a restaurant as good or bad based on how good this Cacio e pepe is. It’s also the ancestor of carbonara, and if you eat this with a local recipe… you’ll understand why Italians are so obsessed with their ingredients.
