Gluten-free Rome Part II

For an expanded and updated version of this article for 2022, you can read my guest post on romewise.com

My aunt and her kids have been gluten-free for the past 25 years, long before it was in fashion. More recently, my little sister became highly non-coeliac gluten-sensitive. Having members of my family live sans wheat has opened my eyes in regards to how important it is for a community, and a city like Rome––where wheat is so prominently part of the everyday diet––to offer allergen-free options. This prompted me to do some research.

Gluten is the substance present in cereal grains––especially wheat, barley, rye, soy and related species and hybrids––responsible for the elastic tissue of dough. A mixture of two proteins, gluten triggers adverse autoimmune reactions responsible for a broad spectrum of gluten-related disorders, including coeliac disease, non-coeliac gluten sensitivity, gluten ataxia and a type of dermatitis. People with these conditions suffer from a variety of symptoms including joint pain, allergies, headaches, intestinal distress, and must therefore practice a gluten-free diet.

One of my most successful posts to date is in fact my list of gluten-free restaurants in Rome originally appeared on this blog in 2012. Many places closed since then, others have changed ownership and menu, others simply are no longer gluten-free. So it's time to update that article for 2018. You'll notice a visible increase in listings and overwhelming variety of offer.

There has been a considerable increase in the demand for gluten-free options in Rome. Restaurants have had to step up their game and offer allergen– and gluten–free menus, adding and separating kitchens, utensils, pizza ovens and chefs dedicated to handling special ingredients to avoid cross-contamination. Pastry shops and pizzerias have done the same. Take-out and delivery services are no less geared for this burgeoning market segment. 

Whether your reasoning is health-related or you simply prefer gluten-free food, here's my updated gluten-free Rome, Part II list for 2018. 

Restaurants, pastry shops and stores marked with a heart (♥) are 100% exclusively gluten-free. All the other listings are certified by AiC, the Italian Coeliac Association, which means the chef and waitstaff have been trained and periodically monitored by AiC personnel, and follow AiC regulations for preparing safe, gluten-free meals.

RESTAURANTS

Alex Café

This very reasonably priced seafood restaurant located within the Hotel Alexandra in the otherwise costly Via Veneto, offers delicious pastas, almost all of which can be made gluten-free, including a legendary lasagna. I highly recommend ordering their spaghetti alle vongole, a personal favorite.

Erudito ♥

Rome's first 100% gluten-free hamburger joint is located in Pigneto. Their sourdough buns are baked fresh daily and their hamburger patty is a delicious blend of lean and fattier cuts of meat. There is a choice of 8 veggie burger options available, plus salads and meatless entrées.

Mama Eat Street Food ♥

Fried food is a big part of cucina romana. Think supplì, which despite being made with rice, cheese and tomato, is however dredged in breadcrumbs, and so, sadly off-limits to those avoiding gluten. Luckily, this place (born from the rib of flagship gf eatery Mama Eat ♥ in Trastevere) inches away from St Peter's is one of the many dedicated gluten-free restaurants in Rome, where there is zero risk of cross-contamination. The menu includes Italian favorites like lasagna, risotto and parmigiana di melanzane, but the most popular here is the cuoppo, a faux newspaper cone filled with deep-fried goodies ranging from montanara (fried pizza), battered cod fillets, crocché (potato croquettes), pasta cresciuta (fried pizza dough speckled with seaweed) and more... desserts may include fried donut holes drizzled with chocolate, so save room for dessert. There's gf beer, too.

Il Maggiolino

This casual trattoria in the Marconi district, just beyond Trastevere, has been offering gluten-free options for a decade. Every dish on the menu can be made gluten-free in the special separate kitchen, including fettuccine with tomato and pine nuts and a phenomenal puttanesca. Beautiful desserts and good choice of wine and gluten-free beer.

Mangiafuoco

Mangiafuoco, located in the Nomentano neighborhood, has a seperate gluten-free kitchen, a dedicated menu sans wheat, and––most importantly––gluten-free beer on tap, a Rome rarity. While waiting for the gf pizza to land on their plate, coeliacs can enjoy classic appetizers made without gluten, like supplì, fried zucchini blossoms and croquettes. Carnivores will also rejoice since the juicy steaks and other meats are fire-grilled on demand. On Sundays from noon to 3pm there's a completely gf brunch spread. Always crowded, especially on weekends, reservations are highly recommended. 

Millennium

This is one of Rome's oldest gluten-free restaurants. Located in the Alessandrino suburbs, it offers an AiC-approved menu and attentive service. The restaurant is equipped with a separate kitchen with wood-stoked pizza oven. The dedicated cook prepares ravioli, fettuccine, lasagne, various types of supplì, breaded and fried stuffed olives, croquettes, zucchini flowers, fried pizza, cod fillets, panzerotti (fried dough pockets containing melted cheese and ham) and pizzas, in addition to meat entrées and fabulous desserts. Vegetarian and lactose-free options also available. Great gf beer.

Pantha Rei

Cozy little celiac retreat away from the hustle and bustle surrounding the Pantheon. Almost everything on the menu can be ordered gluten-free, including pasta dishes, fritti and pizza, actually one of the best gf pizza in Rome, which unfortunately is sold with an extra €2 on top of the menu price. The centro storico restaurant also boasts a vegetarian buffet with lots of grilled vegetables, salads, soups and cheeses. Free wifi.

Il Pellicano

Most of the pasta dishes, pizzas and desserts on the menu of this Casalpalocco restaurant can be made gluten-free, including the signature tiramisu, whose gf ladyfingers are homemade by the owners. The gluten-free bread is also homemade daily. I tasted the gf version of their fettuccine with porcini, and I could not tell the difference with the wheat version.

Risotteria Melotti ♥

Everything on the menu of this charming little restaurant at a stone's throw from Piazza Navona is gluten-free. But this is not your average Rome haunt. The menu offers only rice-based dishes. You can choose from a dozen different risottos (my favorite is the risotto all'isolana, creamy rice seasoned with pork loin, rosemary and pancetta) as well as appetizers and desserts, all employing rice as their main ingredient. The flagship venue is in Verona, and in addition to Rome they have a branch in Manhattan.

Sei Per Due ♥

This raw gluten-free gourmet restaurant occupies a small, intimate space in what was once a butcher shop located near Vatican City. With its very few tables and a carefully designed menu, this is one of the city's best kept secrets. Think lobster with parsnip noodles, salicornia, watermelon and Cerignola olives; or fish tartare with Jerusalem artichoke and passion fruit. Save room for dessert.

Shaki Pane & Co.

Tiny breakfast and aperitivo place in the heart of Rome's posh Spanish Steps neighborhood that offers gluten-free appetizers, pizzas, smoothies and tapas. Great for a wheat-less break during "retail therapy" shopping sessions.

Taverna Barberini

In the cozy restaurant on via delle Quattro Fontane, coeliacs can indulge in almost anything on the menu as the majority of the dishes can be prepared gluten-free. The off-street location makes it the perfect place for a quiet, intimate dinner. Top dishes are the pasta e fagioli, amatriciana served in a pan, and spinach and ricotta-filled ravioli, all obviously gluten-free.

Triticum

This restaurant in the Casalotti suburb offers a four-page menu of "Zero Glutine" options that include fried appetizers, focaccias, supplì, bruschettas, calzones, pizzas and desserts. There's a kids' gf menu and a play area with crayons and toys.

Tulipano Nero

Safe place for gf eaters in Trastevere, where diners can select everything from pasta to pizza to fine grilled meat dishes. The one drawback is that the restaurant does charge an extra €2 to make a dish gluten-free.

Il Viaggio

All dishes on the menu at Il Viaggio near Villa Borghese can be made gluten-free with no risk of cross-contamination. Think classic carbonara, gnocchi cacio e pepe, and original preparations like tortelli with codfish, ricotta and cherry-tomato confit. If unsure what dish to pick, diners can always take advantage of the half-portion option, which allows to sample multiple dishes. The restaurant furthermore organizes gluten-free cooking classes: chef Luca shares his secrets and correct cooking procedures to obtain perfect dough for pasta, pizza and desserts made with gluten-free ingredients.

BAKERIES & CHOCOLATE

Grezzo ♥

"In a world of mistreated foods, Grezzo, originally from Turin––home to stellar maître chocolatiers––chooses only certified organic raw materials," the store's claim is the governing philosophy behind this raw vegan and gluten-free chocolate shop located in the Monti district. The chocolates, cookies, gelato and other chocolaty treats sold at Grezzo are also in accordance with the paleo diet and contain no refined sugars. A second branch in Rome is due to open soon.

Pandalì ♥

Exclusively gluten-free bakery near the Pantheon, opened by 4 women, one of whom is gluten-intolerant. Wheatless bread is baked fresh daily, on the shelves is also a wide variety of other baked goods such as muffins, crostatas, cookies and biscuits, cakes and more. Pizza sold al taglio (by weight), salads and sandwiches are offered at lunchtime. This is a great spot for merenda––a quick, sweet Italian snack enjoyed by kids of all ages in the middle of the afternoon.

La Pasticciera ♥

This little gluten-free bakery near Termini has a secret: a unique and innovative flour blend prepared daily by the coeliac owner, that's completely natural, rich in fiber and vegetable proteins, and containing no chemically treated flours. In addition to cakes, cookies, cupcakes, muffins, also pastries of all kinds as well as savory products such as bread, focaccia, calzones, brioche, and other gluten-free products, all prepared with fresh ingredients and no preservatives or additives. Always open.

Sans de Blé ♥

Located on via Chiabrera near the San Paolo station, this artisan gf bakery prepares all manner of pastries, cakes, crostata tarts, cookies and even pizza sold by weight. Their muffins and brownies (which they call "fondenti") are delicious and better than many other non-gf options I've tasted around town.

Le Altre Farine del Mulino ♥

The owner of this bakery located near the Vatican has been coeliac from a young age, the offer is therefore entirely without gluten. There's a full spread for breakfast that changes to sandwiches at lunchtime, and then serves gluten-free aperitivo later in the evening. All cakes, donuts, brioche, fresh baked bread and tapas are made from scratch on site. A little on the pricey side.

FOOD SHOPPING

Isola Celiaca ♥

Well-stocked grocery store that sells gluten-free products. The stores of the L'Isola Celiaca franchise also serve fresh products such as bread, sandwiches, pizza, supplì, breakfast cakes and biscuits. Nine stores in the city and outskirts.

Celiachiamo ♥

The celiachiamo.com online resource has opened 3 shops that sell gluten-free products in Rome. The one located on Via della Magliana is a veritable gf supermarket selling all manner of packaged goods but, more importantly, an artisanal workshop dedicated to gluten-free preparations which produces daily fresh bread, pizza pies and sold al taglio (by weight) plus pastries, biscuits, fried foods and custom cakes, frozen foods, beer, pasta, sauces, cake mixes, flours, cured meats... the list goes on.

GELATO

Gelateria dei Gracchi

This gelateria sells individually wrapped gf cones and does not use gluten as a thickener. Vegans can also note the different colored paddles to indicate whether a particular gelato flavor is made with eggs or milk. I always choose pistachio and, when in season, the best menta (wild mint) sorbet on the planet. Four locations.

Fatamorgana ♥

This excellent gelateria is now a franchise with shops all over Italy and one in L.A., the owner Maria Agnese Spagnuolo, a coeliac, designed her gf gelato setting a trend in the city. Ideal for gelato lovers with dietary restrictions, the tubs are labeled according to what allergens are present in each flavor (sugar, egg, dairy, nuts, etc.). Picking your gelato among the 50 seasonal options on rotation is therefore very easy. My favorites are "Prince's Kiss" (chocolate and hazelnut) and "Crema ai fiori di mandorlo" (vanilla with almond flower extract). Eight locations.

BONUS – What to order in a non-gluten-free place without sacrificing the experience:

Trapizzino

Why miss out on Rome's unique trapizzino street food experience? Those not eating gluten can order the chicken cacciatore (the number one filling of their signature triangular pizza pockets) and have it served in a cup instead. Six locations in Rome, plus others in Milan, Florence and Manhattan.

Mordi e Vai

At the Testaccio market, ask Sergio to serve you his divine allesso con cicoria (tender and juicy slow-cooked scottona beef served with sautéed dandelion greens) or any of his other delicious and affordable samplings of traditional Roman dishes, on a plate instead of in the ciabatta. Grab a glass of wine and smile.

Anyone still skeptical about Italy's gluten-free offer can check out Associazione Italiana Celiachia, the Italian coeliac disease association; and Celiachiamo, dietary intolerance-awareness website.

Best cucina romana in Rome

Roma — home to cucina romana — has plenty of places where folks can score a decent plate of typical local pasta. But finding the best places is an exact science. After extensive research (including card-carrying access to the plus-size kingdom) I've prepared a detailed list of city's signature pasta dishes as well as some of the spots that serve the best of the best. 
Continue Reading ➔

Homemade pasta, is it really worth it?

In my recent article published on Plum Deluxe, I share my thoughts on this subject, analyzing the pros and cons.

I'm a single mom, working three jobs, and trying to keep my child healthy by serving the best possible food, and swearing by traditional methods. On the other hand, there are really only 24 hours in a day, and sometimes it's not that easy to whip up homemade pappardelle on a school night.

Continue Reading ➔

Pasta butter and anchovies, or I take it all back, Baccano.

Summer. It's hot and muggy in Rome. The baby sitter is late and I have limited cab fare in my wallet, but I have to attend a new restaurant opening in Trevi for a story. The horde crowding both entrances is ridiculous. We make it inside, pushing through throngs of puffy lipped wannabe tv presenter girls and UVA tanned blokes with plucked lady eyebrows. It's 9 pm and it's hot, too damn hot to be this crowded.

I grab a glass of white wine from a roving tray, but can't make the oyster platter in time: a million hands reach forward and I've never had long arms. I manage to sieze a fried mozzarella ball from an abandoned corner of the bar, and bump into a couple of frazzled friends. So I find out the reason the place is so packed is that it's serving two social events in one night: a birthday party of a young actress (attracting fauna mentioned above); and the actual opening of the restaurant (attracting multitude of foodies, bloggers, journalists and dining celebs elevated to stardom status).

The decor is French inspired, and quite nice. Waitresses are all pretty, dressed like 1940 chamber maids, sporting LBDs, black pumps and a white sexy apron. The fourth wall in the kitchen is made of glass and overlooks the dining room. The tiles, newspaper racks and leather booths spell bistrot without italics. Despite the attractive ambiance, thanks to the chaos, I make a mental note to never come back here again.

This was the first impression Baccano made on me. But it was silly of me to think I could understand the true nature of a place on its opening night. Too over capacity, too soon in the trial stage, and too damn hot. On my first visit I hadn't tasted the food, I did not have a chance to really get a feel for the place, I did not peruse the wine list, I didn't even get a chance to take a look at the menu!

Today I have to strike that first impression, erase it completely. One because it was based on all the wrong elements, and two because on my second visit I actually ate well.

So here I am at 1pm, willing to rectify my bad judgement, with a reservation at Baccano. Reason is I absolutely have to taste the place's forte: pasta with butter and anchovies. "Burro e alici" is a classic Rome cucina povera snack: a morsel of crusty bread meets a curl of butter and an anchovy that's been steeping in olive oil. That's when life suddenly smiles at you. 

So when browsing the restaurant's lunch menu online I read that Baccano's signature dish – besides juicy 7oz burgers, eggs with shaved truffle (in season), salads, sandwiches, and daily specials that include foie gras, bollito misto and tripe – was tagliolini with Échiré butter and Spanish salted anchovies from the Mar Cantábrico, I had to go back for a second opinion.

Creamy, savory and perfectly al dente. I sopped my plate with bread and it returned to the kitchen clean. It was so good that I had to replicate it immediately at home. It turned out great.
I've been silent on this blog for 6 months, and now 2 recipes in 4 days. Don't say I don't spoil you. Two recipes in 4 days. I must be crazy.
Here is the recipe.

Tagliolini burro e alici like you find at Baccano
320 g (10 oz) fresh tagliolini (you can make it from scratch with this recipe)
8 oil-packed anchovy fillets + 1 for garnish on each plate
120 g (1 stick, or 1/2 cup) unsalted butter
Extra virgin olive oil

Once the pasta dough has rested and is ready to be rolled, dust your work surface with some flour or polenta (cornmeal) and use a well-dredged rolling pin to work the dough to a thickness of about 2 millimeters (about 1/8 of an inch).

Now roll up your flattened dough like a burrito and cut 1/2 cm slices, about 1/4 of an inch. Unravel the coils, dust with a bit more flour or polenta, and shape into nests the size of an egg. Allow a couple hours to dry.

Cook your fresh homemade pasta in plenty of lightly salted water at a jacuzzi-type rolling boil. Stir with a wooden spoon or a long fork quite often. This will ensure the pasta to remain springy and not clump together in clusters during cooking.

In a large saucepan melt the butter with a drop of olive oil and the 8 anchovies over very low heat. The butter has to slowly melt without ever bubbling, while the anchovies render a savory, creamy texture to the flavor.

When the pasta is al dente, drain it saving plenty starchy pasta cooking water, and pour the noodles straight into the condiment saucepan. Stir over mild heat to blend well, slowly adding a ladle of cooking water, to obtain even more creaminess.

Plate and garnish with an anchovy fillet on each heap.
Yields 4 servings.

Images © Andrea Di Lorenzo

Cook pasta a dente!

In Italy, overcooking pasta is a sin, period. Al dente, which literally means "to the tooth," as in, "how does it feel to the tooth," stands for the correct point of cooking hardness. The opposite of al dente isn't some version of normal; it's soft or overdone.

Continue Reading ➔

Cacio e pepe recipe

To hell with the diet. I made cacio e pepe tonight.

This typical Roman pasta dish is a simple cheese, black pepper and starch combination, and a hallmark of the Testaccio district, the early 1900s housing project that developed around the now defunct abattoir, in the southern part of the city.

Pasta cacio e pepe is enjoying a moment of popularity, everyone's crazy about the old cucina povera quick fix. Restaurants in Italy and overseas are sometimes charging eyebrow-raising sums for a plateful. But on a par with aio e oio, cacio e pepe has always been a reliable and expeditious solution in case of sloth, self-invited last minute guests, or for post fornication midnight munchies.

Image © senzapanna

One of the best types of pasta to use for cacio e pepe is fresh tonarelli all'uovo, a thick and squared-section noodle made with eggs, flour and love.

That said, 400 g (14 oz) of the largest size durum wheat spaghetti you can find will do just fine
1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
Lots of coarsely ground black pepper
E basta. (no olive oil, no butter, no cream)

Cook the pasta until al dente in 1 gallon of lightly salted water. Remember, fresh pasta cooks much quicker than the dried kind.

In the meantime grate Pecorino cheese and grind the pepper.

Loosely drain the pasta, saving more starchy cooking water.

Toss the cooked pasta into a large warmed bowl, adding handfuls of cheese and freshly ground black pepper, and adding more of the saved cooking water to blend. Using a wooden spoon, stir vigorously until creaminess ensues.

Don't skimp on the pepper, lash away––the condiment should be quite spicy.

Uncork the red wine and quietly devour at tongue-burning temperature.

(Diet can resume tomorrow)

What I ate in Positano

Yes, that is someone swimming. March, 2011

You can find more photos of this glorious Positano vacation on my Flickr stream.

Carbonara recipe

I'm going to quote myself.

I know, it sounds boldly presumptuous. But I'm going to do it in order to introduce a recipe–which is the topic of my quote–and thus invalidate my quote. Convoluted much? Please, keep reading.

Two years ago I wrote a post listing the most off-limits foods to serve at a meal, taking into account everyday ethical choices, idiosyncrasies, eating whims and food snobism. One of the items on that list was Carbonara.

Here's the quote. I described it as, «Easy dish but so hard to make well. The danger between obtaining "scrambled eggs" and "quick setting cement" walks a very fine line.» One other fact I failed to mention is that the eggs in properly prepared carbonara are essentially raw.

That said, I'd like to share the recipe as one of my culinary strong points, and overrule my carbonara embargo. I should do this because some folks have never tasted the real carbonara (I've heard of chefs that make it with heavy cream, béchamel... mayonnaise, even!). Others don't cook it because they can't overcome the anxiety of figuring out correct heat and timing, factors that divide carbonara into "good" carbonara, and "awful" carbonara. And some people simply freak out about the raw eggs.

I'd like you to read on, and possibly make some at home tonight. The ingredients for carbonara are not hard to find.

Make some, and then you can decide to ratify or reject the carbonara moratorium.

In the meantime, the usual historic note. I'll make it short.

Carbonari were 19th century freedom fighters called 'charcoal burners' perhaps because of their camouflage black face paint (carbone = coal). The revolutionary secret society's goals were patriotic and liberal, and they played an important role in Italy's Risorgimento.

Some believe that the dish was once popular with these fugitives who lived on the mountains near Rome, because the ingredients were easily portable and cooking was fairly uncomplicated. Some others attribute the birth of carbonara to American allies putting breakfast of bacon and eggs on pasta.

Whatever the origin, this dish is a cucina romana stalwart.

To make the real rebellious carbonara for 4 you'll need:

500 g (1.1 lb) spaghetti, I also make it with rigatoni or any thumb-length, ribbed tube pasta
200 g (1 cup) guanciale, cubed or thinly sliced in strips (can be substituted with unsmoked pancetta or bacon)
1 egg + 4 yolks
1/2 cup each Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
Freshly ground black pepper

Bring a gallon of cold water to a rolling boil, adding a fistful of salt when the surface of the water begins to tremble. Cook the pasta until it is al dente. Do. Not. Overcook.

While the pasta boils, sizzle the strips or cubes of guanciale in a hot skillet for about 10 minutes over a low flame, until the fat is translucent, crisp and barely browned. Remove skillet from the stove, discard the rendered fat, blot the cooked pork on kitchen towels and keep aside.

In a large serving bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolks, grated cheeses and pepper. Blend well into a yellow paste. I use a fork for this.

Tricky part.

When the cooking timer rings, using tongs, fish out the pasta from the boiling water, and immediately toss it into the bowl with the eggy mixture, place the bowl over the pot of boiling water and blend vigorously using your fork. This way you're cooking the egg AND coating the pasta, clever you! 

You don't want the egg to set with the heat of the pasta (that's frittata) you want to evenly coat it, while cooking. 

If you see the sauce is too dry you can add a slug of starchy cooking water and keep blending the silky delight. Taste and add more salty cheese and ground black pepper, if necessary. 

Garnish with the fried pork. Done.