Eleonora Galasso’s As the Romans Do is cookbook as a Technicolor vision of Rome that takes our romantic notions about life in the Italian capital and runs with them. What Romans do, if the book is to be believed (the subtitle is La Dolce Vita in a Cookbook), is ride Vespas through markets in flowing orange dresses, skip through fountains à la Anita Ekberg and feast in palazzos that are bedecked with Renaissance art.
It’s a glorious fantasy, but what, I ask Galasso when we meet in London, is her life really like, when you strip away the romance and the cinema references? It’s different, surely, to how she portrays it in the book.
“No!” she exclaims, taken aback at the suggestion. “OK, I might not always be so dressed up. But, yes, I go around on a bicycle and speak to the people from the market on a daily basis, and, yes, I go to crazy dinners where you would have on one side a cardinal, on the other side a prostitute, on the other side a government minister or a singer. That’s what my life is really like.”
Galasso has lived in Rome since she was one – her family moved from Puglia in the south – and she grew up keenly observing the city and its eating habits. “I always wanted to go off the beaten track and see what people ate at home. I wanted to cover it all.”
In 2012, while working as an art journalist, she started putting on cooking classes in unusual venues around the city, including catacombs. That led to a blog and a popular Instagram account, although she says it took a while to persuade publishers that what the world needed was another Italian cookbook.
What sets Galasso’s book apart is the sense of lived experience that she weaves into the recipes. Her interpretations of classic dishes tend to be respectful, with a few judicious amendments here and there. Instead, she embellishes her recipes with histories and anecdotes. Make her carbonara and you’ll get a rundown on Caravaggio’s use of light and the carbonari (charcoal men) after whom the dish may have been named.
The effect is immersive: as well as helping you to cook more like a Roman, Galasso can make you feel like you’re actually there, amid the priests and the hustlers, the palazzos and the backstreet trattorias, savouring all that the eternal city has to offer.
Baked pasta with asparagus, pancetta and provola cheese – pasta al forno con asparagi, pancetta e provola
Meals with friends and family call for comfort food, and the addition of asparagus turns a pasta bake into a feast. This dish is just as mouthwatering when eaten cold, making a treat for a refrigerator raider like me.
Serves 6
asparagus or wild asparagus 500g
extra virgin olive oil 30ml
leek 1, trimmed, cleaned and finely sliced
unsalted butter 100g, plus extra for greasing
milk 500ml
ground nutmeg 1 tsp
plain flour 100g
fusilli or penne pasta 400g
provola, fontina or medium cheddar cheese 150g
pancetta or smoked bacon cubes 150g
breadcrumbs 50g
salt
Prepare the asparagus by breaking off and discarding the woody ends, cutting off and reserving the tips and slicing the stalks into 1cm chunks.
Add the asparagus tips to a small saucepan of boiling salted water and blanch for 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Bring a second saucepan of salted water to a boil, lower to a gentle simmer and keep to one side.
Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan, add the leek and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until browned. Add the asparagus stalks, season with salt and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a ladleful of hot water every 5 minutes to prevent everything sticking to the bottom of the pan, until the asparagus stalks are soft and cooked through. Tip the asparagus and leek mixture into a food processor and blend together well. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Grease a 35cm x 20cm oven dish with a little butter.
Gently heat the milk in a small saucepan, ensuring it doesn’t boil. In a separate saucepan, melt the butter, add the nutmeg and flour and stir together to make a smooth paste (roux). Season with salt and slowly add the warm milk, stirring constantly, to form a smooth, creamy sauce. Bring to a gentle boil, then remove from the heat and set aside.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook for half of the cooking time indicated on the packet, or about 3-7 minutes. Drain and place in a bowl along with the sauce, two-thirds of the provola and half of the blended asparagus. Mix everything together well and pour into the prepared oven dish.
Scatter over the asparagus tips and pancetta cubes, pour over the remaining asparagus mixture and sprinkle with the remaining provola. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the surface has formed a nice golden crust.
Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and cut into rectangles. Serve hot or cold.
Bucatini with clams and minty potatoes – bucatini alle vongole e patate alla menta
The real value of an ingredient lies in its quality – particularly true with a dish like this one. I visit my fishmonger and ask for the freshest clams. Once I’m home, the first thing I do is check them for sand. Tap each clam, with the opening facing down, against a cutting board. If dark sand comes out, throw the clam away. This dish is best served piping hot.
Serves 2
charlotte potato 1, or other waxy potato, peeled
fresh clams 500g
extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp
garlic 2 cloves, peeled and left whole
unsalted butter a knob
mint leaves a small handful, very finely chopped
salt and pepper
bucatini or spaghetti 150g
flat leaf parsley leaves a handful, finely chopped
salted capers 1 tsp, rinsed, to garnish
To remove excess starch from the potato, peel it and leave it to soak in a bowl of water for 15 minutes, then drain it and cut it into 5mm cubes.
Meanwhile, put the clams in a colander and rinse well under running water. Drain well and set aside.
Gently heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan. Add 1 whole garlic clove and leave for 2-3 minutes to brown, then tip in the clams, cover with the lid and cook over a high heat for 5 minutes, or until the clams are completely open. Remove from the heat and drain the clams in a colander over a bowl, reserving the precious cooking liquid. Extract the clam meat from half of the shells and discard any clams that haven’t opened.
Add the potato cubes to a small pan of salted water, bring to a simmer and cook over a medium-high heat for 10 minutes until tender, then drain. Melt a little butter in the same pan, add the potatoes along with the mint, season to taste and cook for a further 5 minutes until the potatoes have softened further and the flavours have mingled together.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook according to the packet instructions until al dente, then drain, reserving a few ladlefuls of the pasta cooking water.
While the pasta is cooking, heat the remaining olive oil in another large saucepan with the remaining whole garlic clove for 2-3 minutes until the clove has browned, then pour over the clam cooking liquid, bring to a simmer and cook for roughly 5 minutes or until reduced by half.
Add the drained pasta to the pan along with the shelled clams, minty potatoes and parsley, then gradually add the reserved pasta cooking water along with the remaining clams still in their shells. Spoon into bowls and scatter over the capers to garnish.
Pork chops with greased bread – braciole di maiale con panuntelle
This is a humble yet intensely flavoured pork chop recipe. Panuntella means greased bread: place your pork chops (with a nice ring of fat around them) on a grill rack over slices of good rustic bread and let the drippings transform it as the pork gently cooks.
Serves 6
pork chops 6
extra virgin olive oil 6 tbsp
garlic 3 cloves, peeled and left whole
rosemary leaves a small handful, plus extra sprigs to garnish
lemon juice 2 tbsp
dry white wine 375ml
black peppercorns 15
juniper berries 4
rustic bread 6 slices
cucumbers 2, trimmed and thinly sliced
For the salad
parsnips 250g, peeled and cut into wedges
baby beetroot 250g, peeled and cut into wedges
Bramley or other cooking apples 2, peeled, cored and cut into wedges
extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp
salt and pepper
For the dressing
natural yogurt 150ml
white wine vinegar 1 tbsp
lemon juice of ½
dill fronds a small handful
extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp
salt and pepper
Place the pork chops in a large food bag with the oil, garlic, rosemary, lemon juice, wine, peppercorns and juniper berries. Seal and shake to mix everything together well, then transfer to the refrigerator and leave to marinate for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. While the pork chops are marinating, prepare the salad. Arrange the parsnip, beetroot and apple wedges in a large roasting tin, drizzle over the olive oil and bake in the oven for 25 minutes, turning halfway during cooking, until softened. Remove from the oven, season with salt and pepper and leave to cool.
For the dressing, mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
Switch the oven setting to a high grill. Remove the pork chops from the marinade and place them on an oven rack under the hot grill, arranging the pieces of bread in an ovenproof dish directly below the chops to catch all the delicious cooking juices. Cook for 15 minutes, turning the chops halfway, until golden and cooked through.
Remove the chops and bread slices from the oven. Cover the bread with the cucumber slices, then arrange the pork chops on top and finish each piece with a sprig of rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Toss the salad in the dressing to coat and serve alongside the chops and bread.
Wrapped vegetable pie – tortino di verdure incartato
With its exhilarating aroma and vivid flavour this is not your usual lasagne – instead of layers of egg pasta, here we use crunchy leaves of chard, giving this dish the appearance of a beautifully wrapped present. To me, herbs make up the personality traits of a dish. I like to use sage and basil here, but you can personalise it with any herb you fancy.
SERVES 6
salted butter 50g
leeks 500g, trimmed, cleaned and finely sliced
basil leaves a handful, roughly chopped
sage leaves a handful, roughly chopped
salt and pepper
chard 500g, trimmed and stalks separated
eggs 3
whipping cream 200ml
carrot 1, cut into 5mm cubes
celery stick 1, cut into 5mm cubes
radishes 200g
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a very low heat, add the leeks and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour, until the leeks are soft, translucent and falling apart. Stir in the basil and sage, season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat. Set aside.
Meanwhile, add the chard pieces to a large pan of salted boiling water and blanch for 2-3 minutes. Drain and let dry between two clean tea towels. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Dampen a sheet of baking paper with a little water and use to line an 18cm springform cake tin.
In a bowl, beat the eggs together until light and fluffy. Add the whipping cream and beat together until the mixture is slightly firm, then season with salt and pepper and stir in the sauteed leeks along with the carrot and celery pieces.
Arrange the dried chard pieces, reserving a handful, in an overlapping pattern to cover the base and sides of the prepared cake tin.
Fill the tin with the cream and vegetable mixture, then cover with the remaining leaves, folding the overhanging leaves towards the middle like a parcel to enclose the filling. Loosely cover the tortino with baking paper, and cook in the oven for 40 minutes until the filling has set firm.
Remove the tortino from the oven and gently flip it over, removing the baking paper. Using a mandoline or sharp knife, cut the radishes into thin slices and use to decorate the top of the tortino. Serve hot or cold.
Sticky buns – maritozzi
The maritozzo is the centrepiece of my Roman breakfast. With its curious name – an affectionate derivative of marito, which means husband, it first became popular in the Middle Ages as a token of love.
Makes 8 maritozzi
fast-action dried yeast 1 tsp
lukewarm water 200ml
malt extract or caster sugar 1 tsp
Canadian very strong white bread flour 375g, plus extra if necessary
caster sugar 70g
salt a pinch
corn oil 70ml
lemon zest of 1
eggs 2, separated
raisins 20g, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes and drained
pine nuts 20g
orange zest of 1
For the icing
white sugar 120g
water 80ml
For the filling
whipping cream 350ml
icing sugar 30g
pistachios 50g, crushed to a fine powder
Dissolve the yeast in 50ml of the measured water, add the malt extract and mix well.
In a bowl, mix together the flour and sugar. Make a well in the centre, add the yeast and malt mixture and stir everything together.
In a separate bowl, add the salt, corn oil and lemon zest to the remaining water and stir together, then pour the liquid over the flour mixture, add the egg yolks and knead together to form a firm dough. Add the raisins, pine nuts and orange zest to the dough and ingredients are well combined.
Dust the dough and bowl with a little flour, cover with clingfilm and leave to rise in a warm place for at least 2 hours, or until it has risen by about one-third.
Transfer the risen dough onto a floured work surface and knead it for a couple of minutes, adding a little more flour if necessary, to obtain a firm and elastic dough. Divide the dough into 8 pieces, then shape each piece into a round bun. Arrange the maritozzi on an oven tray lined with baking paper, cover with clingfilm and leave to rest for another 30 minutes.
Once the buns have rested, shape them into ovals and brush them with the beaten egg white. Cover them again with clingfilm and leave them to rise for 1 hour.
While the maritozzi are rising, preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4 and prepare the icing. Heat the sugar and water in a saucepan over a medium heat for 3-5 minutes without stirring until the liquid becomes transparent. Set aside to cool.
Bake the maritozzi for 20 minutes, or until golden brown, then remove them from the oven and brush with the sugar syrup. Leave them to cool on the tray for at least 20 minutes.
For the filling, whisk the cream together with the icing sugar until stiff peaks form. Make a cut lengthways along each maritozzo and fill each with the whipped cream and a sprinkle of crushed pistachios. Heaven in a bun.
Grandma’s custard pie – torta della nonna
When I was 13 or 14, I started spending all my non-school hours in the kitchen – my great-grandmother’s sanctuary, which I had been forbidden to enter until then, as no messy children were allowed. From my family I inherited a recipe book filled with secrets that I started studying. On rainy days, I loved to chase away the gloom by putting my hands in some sweet dough.
Serves 8
plain flour 400g
unsalted butter 200g, chilled and cut into 1cm cubes, plus extra for greasing
salt a pinch
caster sugar 150g
eggs 4 yolks
lemon zest of 1
pine nuts 50g
icing sugar 50g
white chocolate 30g, to decorate
For the custard
eggs 4 yolks
plain flour 50g
milk 500ml
caster sugar 100g
lemon zest of 1
white chocolate 50g, broken into chips
For the custard, whisk together the egg yolks, flour, milk, sugar and lemon zest in a saucepan. Heat gently, stirring continuously, for 10 minutes over low heat, or until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir the white chocolate into the hot custard to melt and mix together well. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Place the flour in a bowl, add the butter and salt and rub in with the fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Form a well in the centre and pour over the sugar, egg yolks and lemon zest and mix everything together by hand briefly to form a smooth pastry dough (try to avoid working the pastry for too long, as you’ll melt the butter, and no one wants a soggy pastry). Wrap the dough in clingfilm, transfer to the refrigerator and leave to rest for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Grease a 23cm tart tin with butter. Once rested, divide the dough into two equal-sized pieces. On a floured surface, roll each dough piece into a 25cm disc using a rolling pin. Line the base and sides of the prepared tin with one of the dough discs, pressing it down gently to fix it in place and trimming off any excess.
Pour the custard into the tin, cover it with the second pastry disc and pinch the edges together using your fingers to seal the pie, trimming off the excess pastry as necessary. Sprinkle over the pine nuts and icing sugar, then bake in the oven for 30 minutes until the pastry is golden and the pine nuts are well toasted.
Remove the pie from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Grate over some white chocolate to decorate before serving.
From As the Romans Do by Eleonora Galasso (Mitchell Beazley, £25). Click here to buy a copy for £20, from the Guardian Bookshop
