a weekend in rome; stressful pizza, a silly vespa and saucy tomato pasta recipe
if your looking for a quick weekend away, this is the place
Two of my favourite movies in the world are The Lizzie McGuire Movie and The Cheetah Girls 2. So, I’ve always dreamt of being whisked away on a Vespa outside the Roman Colosseum (hopefully, I’ll get to Barcelona soon too).
But this trip was a little different from Lizzie’s-it was a family holiday like I’ve never had before. With my slightly new family... my in-laws! Me and Seb, my brother, Priya (his wife), her sisters, and their partners. Eight of us, four days in Rome-we have a lot to cover, folks.
Let’s Get Into the Lows
Pre-Flight Jitters
I’m not typically a super anxious person, but I can definitely feel the heat at times. This holiday came during a time when I wasn’t super happy with my content or work. I kind of just wanted to knuckle down after being away for so long and get shit done.
On top of that, I was going away for four days with a group I hadn’t spent much prolonged time with. I don’t have sisters myself, so I don’t really know how they operate. And I’ve heard sisters bicker a lot. As someone who hates confrontation, I was definitely apprehensive.
A Bad First Dinner
Seb and I arrived first and had a glorious lunch (see “Highs” below), but dinner at Da Cesare al Casaletto was a letdown. We had really high expectations after such a great meal earlier, but every dish just felt... lacking.
The recommended pasta with peas, fava beans, and guanciale sounded like the perfect spring dish, but it ended up bland, dry, and boring.
The fritti wasn’t crispy or hot. The all’amatriciana was okay- but not memorable. The bill came to €106, which felt wildly expensive for what we got.
The Bickering Did Come
Our final lunch order was chaotic. Eight people. All opinionated. All hungover. A recipe for pasta-induced tension.
We thought we were being clever by ordering fewer pastas since the portions had been big- but everyone wanted different things. And as the self-appointed chief order-er, I hate it when people have preferences.
Portions ended up smaller than expected, someone didn’t get any fritti, and there wasn’t enough pasta for everyone. The pasta itself was really fantastic but some of us left hungry.
Ordering Pizza Should Not Be Stressful
Okay, I might upset a few people here, don’t get me wrong, the pizza was nice, but I don’t want to feel like my chest is going to explode just trying to order a slice.
Bonci’s system is chaos.
We arrived just before 11 a.m., but doors didn’t open until 11:20 a.m. (after a queue had formed). Multiple staff members were filming us as we entered, and the system was just... confusing. You get a ticket, but no one follows it. Everyone presses up against the counter, and when your number’s called, you can’t even see all the options because everyone is crammed at the front.
You pick slices by weight (?) which is wild. Am I supposed to just know what 200g of pizza looks like?? I’m pretty nifty with a scale and I still couldn’t tell you. Then you take a receipt, walk to the other side, pay, and wait again.
The pizza highlights:
The marinara was a group favourite
I liked the egg mayo puntarella
The carbonara suppli was phenomenal
But it cost over €20 per person-for pizza. Because of the weight system, everyone over-ordered. Tip: You only need aprox 300g per person (one flavour each). And don’t stress about the queuing early -they bring out new pizzas regularly.
Extra Low: RIP Tablecloth
Seb got me a beautiful tablecloth at a Sunday market in Rome, which I was planning on saving till the day I died, and I spilled nail polish on it approximately 0.4 seconds after taking it out of my bag
RIP. Please send nail polish removal tips.
Take a Deep Breath...
Let’s Talk About the Highs
La Tavernaccia Da Bruno
Our first meal was extraordinary. The kind of meal that should start every Roman adventure.
La Tavernaccia Da Bruno was so, so special. Our waitress Juliette was the kindest soul and recommended the most incredible wine.
We had the gricia (one of the four Roman pastas-like carbonara without the egg). It was divine-silky sauce, al dente pasta, and fatty, chewy guanciale. A perfect bite. The slow cooked ox tail was phenomenal. Zero faults.
FYI The Four Roman Pastas are:
Cacio e Pepe
Carbonara
Amatriciana
Gricia
Make sure to tick them all off while you’re in Rome!
Everything But Walking
Rome is semi-walkable. Most places are 20-45 minutes on foot depending where you’re staying. Walking in the sun is lovely-but even better?
Scooting around on a Vespa.
We used the Cooltra app- it’s super easy to set up and all you need is your driver’s licence and passport. You'll need a jacket this time of year, but I finally got my Lizzie McGuire moment.
In the park, you can also rent those double-cycle contraptions for about €10/hour. Highly recommend (go for the non-electric one for max fun).
Real Roman Food
I love discovering dishes you don’t see online. The ones that you need to go into the depths of google maps to fine. The dishes that only your roman grandmother knows how to make and the ones you dont really know the names of.
That’s what we found at Piatto Romano.
Highlights:
Cold lamb sweetbreads with raisins and almonds-so rich and buttery
The pork chop-juicy, herby, tender (the most beautiful pork chop I’ve ever seen)
Even the tripe (in tomato sauce) was delicious
They also serve pastas, but the real stars are these traditional Roman dishes-so be bold and go for it!
And please try the wild strawberries with custard. They’re tiny, sweet, and taste like tutti frutti. I’ve only seen these in the Swedish countryside before!
Rome Is Awe-Inspiring
I wasn’t ready for how stunning and majestic Rome is.
You’re telling me the Colosseum is 1,950 years old?? The original Vatican is 500 years old?? All built without Google? Without ChatGPT? Just... pure imagination?
Technology is impressive, but you know what’s really impressive? Making marble look like silk-with just a chisel.
A Wonderful Trip 💛
Spending time with family was the best part. I honestly can’t believe how lucky I am to get on so well with people who are now actually my family. We could chat for hours, not really getting bored with any conversation. We were laughing and giggling almost the whole trip, and there really isn’t much else I could ask for in a holiday.
Other Notable Mentions
Traditional Roman pizza: Antico Forno Roscioli (no reservation)
Aperitivo at Gil Spritzzati (no reservation)
Fun, modern Italian menu with great service Mazzo (need a reservation)
We missed the food market-but please go if you can!
Buying Goodies from Rome 🧀
Seb and I brought back loads of cheese, guanciale, and nduja. Price-wise, it's the same per kg as Tesco/Sainsbury’s parmesan-but the quality is on another level.
I usually buy 1kg, pack it in my hand luggage, blitz it in a blender at home, and keep it in the freezer.
Freshly grated Roman cheese for whenever your heart desires.
I used those goodies to make a really lovely all'amatriciana for Soph, and here is the recipe for that! We ordered it without fail in every single restaurant and it was always incredible. The pastas in Italy were much more saucy than I make I hope so, i tried to emulate that in my recipe:)
All’Amatriciana
Serves 3
Ingredients:
200g guanciale (or thick-cut smoked bacon), sliced
Pinch of chilli flakes
50ml dry white wine
2 x 400g tins whole tomatoes (San Marzano if you're feeling fancy)
350g dried pasta (or 500g fresh)
50g Pecorino Romano, grated (+ extra to serve)
Instructions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Place guanciale in a cold pan and heat to medium, letting the fat render. (If using bacon, add 1 tbsp olive oil.)
Cook for 5–6 mins until edges are golden. Add chilli flakes and cook for 30 seconds.
Add wine and reduce slightly.
Add tomatoes, smushing with a fork. Simmer for 10 mins.
Cook pasta 4 minutes under its recommended time.
Transfer pasta to sauce with ¼ cup pasta water. Simmer 4–5 mins more.
Stir in Pecorino until melted. Season to taste.
Serve with extra cheese and black pepper
Such a lovely read! Just an FYI - the UK recently banned (temporarily) brining in dairy products from the EU due to the outbreak of foot and mouth disease (in case anyone’s visiting soon!)