Carbonara

Naples has pizza, Rome has Carbonara. Yes, you can now find Carbonara everywhere in Italy, but it was invented in Rome and it is at its best here. The now-classic combination only came to be in the years following World War II, yet somehow this recent creation has captured the heart and stomach of city. Seek out the true carbonara, where a raw egg yolk is cracked into a bowl, showered with a generous handful of grated dry Pecorino Romano, a copious crackling of cracked black pepper, and crispy fried guanciale (cured pork cheek) – add to that steaming hot pasta fresh from its bath and toss vigorously. The heat from the pasta cooks the egg which cloaks the pasta and creates an unctuous sauce, with a punch of salty pork and pungent pepper. Outside of Rome you might find pancetta instead of guanciale or parmiggiano instead of pecorino – but you want the real deal, and you can still find it in Rome.

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