Rome's Classic Four

When in Rome, be sure to learn about and get a taste of the city's four classic pasta dishes!

1. Cacio e Pepe, the one pictured above, is the simplest. Noodles, Pecorino-Romano cheese, and black pepper. Simple and sooo tasty!

2. Pasta alla Gricia. Noodles, Pecorino-Romano cheese, black pepper, and greasy bits of cured hog jowls called guanciale.

3. Carbonara. Add an egg to the Pasta alla Gricia, and you've got yourself Carbonara.

4. Amatriciana. Lose the egg and add tomatoes to Pasta alla Gricia, and you'll be delighting in Amatriciana. This, and Cacio e Pepe were my two favorites when I visited Italy in October. That being true, I didn't have one bite of food in Italy that wasn't delicious.

"Life is about experiencing the pasta-bilities." -Anonymous