Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Another excellent pasta dish that is probably a Rome specialty is rich and silky spaghetti alla carbonara, according to Taste Atlas. The easy-to-make dish of sloppy cheese, egg, pancetta, guanciale, or bacon is served in trattorias all around the city. The first recorded reference to the meal dates back to a circa 1839 provincial cookbook; La Cucina Italiana seeks to clarify the hazy roots of the dish, which are frequently attributed to underprivileged American soldiers stationed in Italy during World War II. The first publication of carbonara was the cookbook Italian Food in 1954. Whatever its roots, spaghetti alla carbonara is a Rome-only specialty that should not be missed.

Don't worry, you will burn off the calories quickly thanks to the city's many attractions and its winding, hilly streets. Make the dish's foundation out of a long, thin pasta shape like fettuccine, bucatini, or spaghetti. Toss a few beaten eggs with some crumbled crispy guanciale (or bacon, hog belly, and pancetta) with your preferred hot pasta. Finish with a generous sprinkle of freshly ground pepper and Pecorino Romano cheese. I'm done now. Purists won't stray from the traditional meal, but modern variations on carbonara include asparagus, artichokes, and arugula as well as fresh, smoked, or tinned seafood like anchovies. A few fiori di zucca will make a stunning presentation.