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Italy Gourmet food and wine information - Index | Aosta Valley | Piedmont | Lombardy | Trentino-Alto Adige / Südtirol | Friuli-Venezia Giulia | Venetia (Veneto) | Liguria | Emilia Romagna | Tuscany | Umbria | Marche | Abruzzo | Lazio | Campania | Molise | Basilicata | Apulia | Calabria | Sicily | Sardinia

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Lazio includes Rome, the capital of Italy. Besides Rome, the towns are Frosinone, Latina, Rieti, Rome (Roma) and Viterbo. Most of the tours suggested by A La Carte Italy Tours include Rome. In Rome, unlike in many other cities, history is not cordoned off or locked up in museums. Bucatini all'amatriciana (pasta with a tomato, chilli and cured pork sauce), spaghetti cacio e pepe (with pungent pecorino and black pepper), gnocchi al sugo (with tomato sauce), polpette (meatballs) and vitello con patate (veal with fried potatoes) are some of the most commonly seen dishes on menus all over town, and are very much part of Rome's history and culture. On your gourmet tour to Lazio and Rome, your tour guide will introduce you to the following culinary specialties and recipes, and to the following wines and liqueurs:

Puntarelle spear like endive

Bruschetta homemade bread oven toasted and topped with garlic and tomatoes

Carciofi alla Giudea; artichokes deep fried in olive oil and garlic

Spaghetti alla Carbonara; bacon, garlic, chili peppers and raw eggs

Bucatini all'Amatriciana; slender pasta tubes with tomato sauce and salt pork, and grated pecorino cheese

Abbacchio alla Cacciatora; baby lamb cooked with rosemary, garlic, anchovies

Porchetta, roasted pork from the Castelli Romani, an area south of Rome

Frascati - (DOC) white

Montefiascone Est!Est!Est! - (DOC) white

Torre Ercolana - (DOC) red

Fiorano - (DOC) red

Colle Picchioni - (DOC) red

Peroni Beer, with a light refreshing taste

As it is often the case in Italy, meals in Rome are often the result of traditional family recipes using pasta and lots of fresh ingredients, especially carciofi, artichokes, tomatoes, meaty porcini mushrooms and herbs. Seafood, lamb, veal, pork and, in autumn, game are popular main courses. Meals begin with antipasto or hors d'oeuvres. The first course (il primo) is usually soup or pasta - spaghetti a la carbonara and gnocchi (tiny, light dumplings in a delicious sauce) are favourites, as is risotto. The most famous entree (secondo) is saltimbocca alla Romana - veal escalopes cooked in wine with herbs. Vegetables and salads are eaten separately. If you wish a private Italy tour customised to include Lazio and Rome gourmet foods and wines, please enquire; at A La Carte Italy Tours we will be delighted to design a special itinerary for your privately guided tour.