Simple Italian Food in Rome – Why Less is More

Everyone’s friend Anthony Bourdain once said that if you only have a moment in Rome, skip the Vatican and go eat a plate of cacio e pepe.
I had been following that philosophy for decades, long before I ever heard Tony say it: Skip the sights, follow the flavor.

In Rome, the best meals are often the simplest. A plate of pasta, a perfectly baked pizza, a handful of local ingredients — this is where Italian food truly shines. Rooted in slow food traditions, Roman cuisine proves that you don’t need complexity to create something unforgettable.

On my first trip to Rome in the 90s, I dutifully checked off all the major sights. But as the queues grew longer over the years, I found myself searching instead for quiet corners of the city. Which, more often than not, meant delicious food.

The Beauty of Simple Italian Food

Italy is the home of slow food and simple cooking.
A country shaped by both great history and periods of poverty, its cuisine is built on local, humble ingredients: tomatoes, countless varieties of wheat turned into pasta, bread, dairy products – especially cheese – and, of course, regional wines.

According to an Italian friend of mine (Ciao Marco!), there are around a thousand types of pasta. I once asked how Italians manage to remember all their names. He laughed and admitted that no one really does—when he travels within Italy, he simply asks the waiter to describe the shape.

In Florence, bread is famously unsalted. Not because Florentines dislike salt, but because it was once an expensive luxury. People learned to live without it—and the tradition stuck.
In Rome, on the other hand, butter is often sold unsalted, but food itself is anything but bland. Salt is simply added separately, with intention.

That’s the essence of slow food: not just slow cooking, but respect for ingredients. The beauty of simple Italian food, in Rome and everywhere: the flavor comes first.

Slow Food in Italy is About Respecting Ingredients

You should know exactly how much salt your food contains – because you add it yourself. Pre-processed foods, heavily salted or full of additives, have no place here.

Cheese is grated fresh. Coffee is ground fresh. Pepper is crushed just before use.
A Roman friend of mine even insists on making pesto by hand—never in a blender, because it turns the flavor bitter.

Every region in Italy has its own culinary identity, and even small villages have their specialties. What unites them all is quality. A few carefully chosen ingredients are enough to create something extraordinary.

Slow Food Movement Began in Rome

The slow food movement itself was born in Piedmont, sparked in the 1980s when McDonald’s planned to open a restaurant near the iconic Spanish Steps.

Italians pushed back.
No fast food chain would take over such a historic setting.
(Although today, you’ll find a discreet McDonald’s nearby—its logo carefully blended into the surroundings. No giant golden arches allowed.)

The movement has since spread worldwide. Turns out, Romans weren’t the only ones craving simplicity and quality.

Despite its name, slow food doesn’t mean spending hours in the kitchen. At its best, simple food is also quick to prepare.
What matters most is not quantity, but quality.
A symphony of flavors doesn’t come from a chaotic mix of ingredients, but from a few that are thoughtfully chosen.

Good meat doesn’t need to be hidden under sauces, but every part of the animal can be used, often incorporated into tomato or herb-based dishes. Nothing goes to waste.

Cacio e pepe is one of the cornerstones of Roman cuisine.
With only a handful of ingredients, there’s nowhere to hide, each one must be perfect. Pure, high-quality, locally sourced, and made with care.

Italian cooking is, at its core, about simplicity.
No overthinking, just honest flavors and appreciation for what’s on the plate.
“Quality over quantity” isn’t just about food: it’s a way of life in Italy. It’s also why, beyond groceries, many of my material purchases tend to happen here.

Pizza in Italy: Less Is More

Even Naples’ famous pizza has made its way to Rome.

On my first trip to Italy, I remember staring at a Roman pizzeria menu in confusion.
How could anyone eat pizza with only two toppings?

With no better options, I ordered a prosciutto pizza.
To this day, it remains the best pizza I’ve ever had.

When I was a kid in my native Finland, a pizza needed five toppings to feel satisfying. In Italy, a couple of high-quality ingredients are more than enough.

Where to Find Authentic Pizza in Rome

A few years ago, my partner and I were searching for a good pizzeria in an increasingly crowded Rome. A host near Piazza Navona tried to lure us in.
I asked if their pizza was forno al legna, wood-fired.
It wasn’t. But instead of insisting, he kindly pointed us to a place that did it right.
That’s how we found one of our favorite spots in Rome: Al Braciere.

Italian waiters are often described as rude. Our experience has been quite the opposite.
We’ve seen indifferent service, but usually toward customers more interested in their phones than their food. Show genuine interest in what’s on your plate, and the service transforms.

More often than not, it even ends with a complimentary limoncello.

Food Brings People Together

Anthony Bourdain once said that the best thing about food is its ability to bring people together.
I couldn’t agree more.
The best part of travel —and of life— is sharing meals with friends, old and new.

On this trip to Italy, we began with dinner with an old friend, met a childhood friend for lunch, shared meals with interviewees, and connected with new people over dinner tables.

An Easy Recipe: How to Cook Cacio e Pepe at Home

No trip to Rome planned? No problem.
You can make cacio e pepe at home in about 20 minutes.

Cacio e Pepe Ingredients

• Butter or olive oil (optional)
• Spaghetti (or tonnarelli, preferred in Rome)
• Pecorino cheese (Parmesan works too)
• Black pepper
• Sea salt

The key is quality. Quantities are flexible, but always grate the cheese and crush the pepper fresh.

Method (simplified)

• Crush the pepper
• Grate the cheese
• Boil pasta in well-salted water
• Toast the pepper briefly in butter or oil
• Add some pasta water to create a sauce
• Let it cool slightly, then mix in the cheese
• Add the pasta just before al dente
• Adjust with pasta water if needed
• Serve on warm plates

A Final Thought from Rome

As I write this, I’m sitting in a Roman restaurant — where else?

I ask the waiter for his favorite dish.
“Pasta,” he replies instantly.

Sure, but which one?
“Amatriciana. Definitely. Because it’s just good.”

Of course.
Taste is personal.
And yes, it’s one of Rome’s four classic pasta dishes—alongside cacio e pepe, gricia, and carbonara.

“Food may not be the answer to world peace, but it’s a good start.”
— Anthony Bourdain —

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I originally wrote this post for my minimalism blog, Minimaattori, on August 23, 2018. I translated my text as I thought this was still worth reading.
If you want to see the original version in Finnish, here it is.

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