6 Famous Roman Pasta Dishes - How To Pronounce Them & Where To Eat Them

Last updated on February 24th, 2025

Of course you’re in Rome to see the sights, but aren’t you also here to eat pasta?

You’d be lying to yourself if you say you aren’t! Rome makes some of the best and most famous pasta in the world, and it’s a pillar of typical Roman food.

I’ve been living in Italy since 2012 and I’ve had plenty of time to sample Rome’s most famous foods. Let’s take a look at:

Rome’s most famous pasta dishes
how to pronounce each pasta dish
where you should try each dish

Pasta Lovers: If you love Roman pasta dishes, you might also like Famous Italian Pasta Dishes and 30 Most Popular Italian Pasta Sauces.

Pasta alla Gricia

(Pronounced pah-stah ahl-lah gree-chah in Italian)

Where To Try it: Trattoria Da Augusto (Trastevere)

A very simple, and old, Roman pasta, pasta alla gricia is made with just Pecorino Romano, black pepper, and guanciale (similar to bacon but coming from the jaw of the pig). Just like cacio e pepe, this is a creamy sauce that takes lots of practice to master. Rich yet simple, this is a must-try in Rome for first time travelers!

Eat It Right: Be sure you are eating your pasta Italian-style with the help of
The Consequences Of Cutting Your Pasta In Italy
Do Italians Eat Pasta Every Day?

Rigatoni con la Pajata

Front entrance of Checchino restaurant in Rome. Red building with green awning and wooded doors. Brick arch above door. Cobblestone street in front. — *Checchino is the spot to sample rigatoni con la pajata!*

(Pronounced ree-gah-toh-nee kohn lah pai-yah-tah in Italian)

Where To Try It: Checchino dal 1887

Rigatoni con la pajata is one of Rome’s lesser known pasta dishes beloved by locals. Rigatoni pasta is dressed in a rich tomato sauce flavored with pajata, intestines from a milk-fed lamb or calf. It’s slow cooked until creamy and resembles small tubes which are stewed with tomatoes before being dished over short pasta. Although not for everyone, it’s not as gross as it sounds and a true Roman classic with great flavor.

Eating in Italy Basics: If you are curious to know more about navigating dining in Italy, you may be interested in
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Tipping In Italy – When & How Much From A Local
What Is A Coperto? All About Italy’s Cover Charge
A Visitor’s Guide To Eating In Italy
How To Order Food In Italian
Italian Meal Structure

Carbonara

top view of a carbonara on a white place from a restaurant in rome

(Pronounced kahr-boh-nah-rah in Italian)

Where To Try It: Salumeria Roscioli or at the best restaurants to eat carbonara in Rome

Carbonara is a famous Roman pasta dish made with guanciale (similar to bacon), egg yolks, Pecorino Romano and freshly cracked black pepper.

Guanciale, a fatty cut of pork, is fried up while the pasta cooks. The hot pasta (spaghetti or mezze maniche) is added to the rendered fat along with plenty of pasta water (the trick to this creamy pasta dish), egg yolks and plenty of grated Pecorino Romano cheese. This is where you can make or break a carbonara – you must add just enough heat, pasta water and rigger as you mix it all together to make a creamy sauce without it turning into scrambled eggs. The guanciale will still be crunchy in the best carbonara in Rome.

Carbonara is on a weekly rotation at our house as everyone loves it, including the pickiest eater.

Cacio e Pepe

Entrance to Baccano restaurant in Rome. Glass doors with red Baccano type on the center of each one. Cashier stand out front. Tables and bar area through windows.

(Pronounced kah-choh eh peh-peh in Italian)

Listen to our Roman friend pronounce it:

Where To Try It: Baccano

Cacio e pepe is a famous Roman pasta sauce that is an Italian favorite, eaten throughout the country. The ingredients are simple and few (just pasta, Pecorino Romano and freshly ground black pepper for peppercorns) but the technique isn’t easy. Pecorino Romano cheese is melted with the starchy pasta water to create a velvety sauce that is spiced up with plenty of black pepper.

If you want to try making this pasta at home, follow my recipe and be sure you are using the right pasta and cooking the pasta correctly, meaning al dente.

Amatriciana

top view of spaghetti covered in a red amatriciana sauce on a white plate. — *The amatriciana I ordered in Rome*

(Pronounced ah-mah-tree-chah-nah in Italian)

Listen to the pronunciation:

Where To Try It: La Matriciana (Termini Train Station)

Amatriciana is a simple tomato-based pasta originally from Amatrice flavored with guanciale olive oil, a pinch of chili pepper, white wine and finished with Pecorino Romano cheese from Lazio. It may be made with spaghetti or bucatini. Amatriciana embodies the simplistic cooking techniques of Roman cuisine, using only a few ingredients but of excellent quality to make a flavorful and hearty meal.

Pasta e Ceci

white plate with pasta e fagioli and a spoon on the side of the plate. — *My pasta and ceci from Rome*

(Pronounced pah-stah eh cheh-chee in Italian)

Where To Try It: Da Corrado at the Testaccio Market in Rome

A classic way to prepare pasta throughout all of Italy is with a sauce made from cooked beans of any kind. Here in Rome, it’s chickpeas or ceci.

The pre-cooked beans are simmered gently with ingredients like garlic, anchovies, various herbs, red pepper flakes and local greens (every restaurant and grandma has their own recipe) until creamy and thick. Cooked pasta (and of course, the magic ingredient starchy pasta water) is added and everything is cooked together for another minute. This thick soup-like sauce makes for a cheap, hearty and healthy meal while in Rome.

Good To Know: Pasta e ceci is often vegetarian and vegan (but not always), making it a great choice for vegans in Rome. Always double check before ordering.