Rome at the table: Thursday ... Gnocchi!

The capital offers numerous archaeological beauties, it tells the story of the Roman people in every corner. If you have decided to spend your holidays there, the days will be very intense and the archaeological areas will literally move you back in time to the Roman era. If you feel a little bit hungry, don't worry, the gods of traditional Roman cuisine hide in every alley and you can delight your body and enchant your spirit by the typical and genuine flavours of Roman gastronomy.
Every day offers delicacy, a course for every occasion, so if you are really hungry and you have little time to spend in Rome, you can also enjoy more than one dish in one day, experience the ecstasy of the immeasurable pleasure of Roman, ancient delicacies recipes handed down by generations who made this place famous and even more loved by tourists and citizens.

Thursday Gnocchi: what is the origin of this proverb about this type of pasta?
If you are thinking about the famous video by Vittorio Gassman (Gassman reads the menu) you have not gone so far. The famous Roman actor names the famous sautéed Rognoloni, performing the grand finale with the house specialties: Gnocchi on Thursday, on Saturday ... tripe!
Although at least three dishes on the menu have Roman origins, we are still far from the famous popular saying, rooted in the Christian origins of avoiding to eat fish on Fridays. The complete saying goes: on Thursday, Gnocchi, on Friday fish, on Saturday tripe. This stresses how before and after the lean day, the good Catholic believers could take advantage of abundant dishes with a great caloric intake. Tripe, Gnocchi and fish are part of the wide range of delicacies that Roman cuisine offers in its tradition. Let's find out what they are.

Gnocchi alla romana
If you decided to stay in Rome, in your hotel or in any corner of the capital, you will find the excellent cuisine offered by the best local chefs. Roman-style sautéed Rognoloni combine the flavour of fresh veal meat with the goodness of the genuine condiments of the Roman lands. There are many meat specialties, famous for being born from traditional poor cuisine: the lamb - named Abbacchio a scottadito -, the Roman tripe, the Vaccinara tail, the Quinto Quarto, the rolls and much more based on entrails or precious meat from farms of the region.
But if you fancy Gnocchi, Roman style ones are prepared with butter, whole milk and semolina. The cooking takes place after pasta has been sprinkled with parmesan, in general Gnocchi are seasoned with sauce, meatballs with tomato sauce, cherry tomatoes and parmesan cheese, but there are numerous variations and mixes that you can taste or request in the numerous taverns or in the restaurant of your hotel.

What are the original variations of Gnocchi alla romana?
With a little imagination, you can request various types of Gnocchi, preserving the typical Roman pasta dough and adding the condiments of the various dishes that tradition offers. Applying the first courses to meat is very simple, they are all typical recipes that contain the tastiest meats in the ingredients to be enjoyed during a lunch to refresh yourself from morning walks, or for dinner, to recover from a day spent among the wonders of the Eternal City.
Gnocchi all'amatriciana certainly are an excellent starting point to forget the effort and restore the body and mind. Although the dish originates further north-east, it is equally included in the flavours of the Roman tradition and combines the delicious homemade dough of the Gnocco with the flavours of Pecorino and Guanciale. From Amatrice to Rome the step is short, but the flavours remain genuine and the ingredients unchanged.
For those who want to experience strong emotions and unique flavours, Carbonara gnocchi combine the flavour of traditional Roman Gnocco with fresh eggs of the day, Guanciale, pepper and Pecorino cheese. This dish truly is a unique goodness, loaded with proteins and carbohydrates and it is the ideal solution to face the capital with energy and live it all in one bite.
Gnocchi with Pajata can be another original solution. This dish combines the goodness of Roman homemade pasta with veal or goat meat, and with the offal of the small intestine, it is an excellent dish for the most demanding tastes.
If you want to taste the most traditional dishes and combine its flavour with the genuine taste of homemade Gnocchi, Cacio e pepe is the best solution to savour the best dairy products made by farms in the Lazio countryside, combined with the spicy flavour of pepper: a real hit of energy and flavour.

Gnocchi, fish or tripe?
As that we have just offered you a complete overview of the various types of Gnocchi alla romana you can choose, if you already have your mouth watering, you just have to book a holiday in Rome in the best hotels on our website. Living a holiday in the Eternal City is a complete experience, which will make your palate ecstatic, your stomach full, and will also satisfy your thirst for culture.
After tasting the various types of Gnocchi alla romana, you can also treat yourself to some lighter dishes such as fish specialties, served in the capital but also in the cities along the coast. In the area of Lazio coast, each city actually offers numerous fish specialties, very good in Rome, too. You can vary your Gnocchi by choosing mussels, swordfish, lobster, cuttlefish ink, scampi and many other goodies of fish origin.
Roman-style tripe is not compatible with gnocchi, but it is still a good second course to taste in one breath. Gnocchi, fish and tripe are perfectly compatible in a dream lunch or dinner, while you are around to admire the beauties of Rome, you will discover numerous taverns with genuine and impeccable traditional cuisine. This is just one of the thousand and more reasons why more and more tourists choose Rome to spend their holidays in a unique place, with flavors that enchant the body, the mind and above all the palate.