When the Trecastelli brothers—Manuel and Nicolò, the talented restaurateurs behind Trecca in Rome’s San Paolo neighborhood—recently made the bold decision to remove carbonara from the menu of their restaurant, it sent ripples through the city’s culinary scene. Their reasoning? While carbonara remains an icon of Roman cuisine, there is simply so much more to discover. As they explained on their social media accounts, they want to spotlight the wealth of lesser-known Roman specialties that deserve equal attention.

It’s a provocative stance, especially in a city where carbonara has achieved near-mythical status. But the brothers have a point. Roman cuisine is far more than the “big four” pasta dishes that dominate tourist menus (carbonara, cacio e pepe, amatriciana, and gricia). Hidden within the city’s culinary tradition are dozens of pasta preparations that rarely make it onto English-language guidebooks; however, they speak volumes about Rome’s rich gastronomic heritage. For return visitors and first-time travelers to the Eternal City alike, we’ve come up with seven dishes that are not as known but are representative of the history and culture of the city.

Let’s start with one of Rome’s most intriguing dishes: pasta alla papalina. This dish was created for Pope Pius XII, hence its name—”papalina” refers to the small white skullcap worn by the pontiff, but the word can be also read to mean  “the way the Pope prefers his pasta”, as he supposedly and famously asked for a “healthier dish” and this was what he got in return. It combines elements of carbonara (eggs, but prosciutto instead of pork jowl) with the addition of sweet peas, butter, and sometimes a splash of cream, creating a luxurious sauce that’s both richer and more delicate than its more famous cousin.

The beauty of papalina lies in its seasonality. When fresh peas arrive in Roman markets each spring, this dish appears on trattoria menus as if by magic, only to vanish again when summer arrives. The sweetness of the peas plays beautifully against the salty, crispy guanciale, while the egg-enriched sauce clings to each strand of pasta with silky perfection. It’s comfort food fit for a pope—or any discerning traveler lucky enough to stumble upon it.

We found it at Osteria dei Pontefici (Via Gregorio VII, Vatican area)

If you’re ready to embrace Roman cuisine at its most authentic, rigatoni alla pajata is your gateway to understanding what locals mean by quinto quarto —literally “fifth quarter”, or offal This historic pasta dish features a sauce made from the intestines of milk-fed veal, specifically the unweaned calf’s small intestine that still contains partially digested milk.

Before you close your browser tab, hear us out. When properly prepared, pajata creates one of the most surprisingly delicious sauces you’ll ever encounter. As the intestines slowly simmer in a tomato sauce, the milk inside creates a creamy, slightly sweet counterpoint to the savory tomato base. The result is complex, rich, and utterly Roman—a dish that represents centuries of “waste-not, want-not” cooking tradition transformed into something genuinely sublime.

Pajata isn’t easy to find these days, which makes it all the more special when you do encounter it. Traditional neighborhoods like Testaccio, historically home to Rome’s slaughterhouses, remain your best bet for tasting this distinctive specialty, although we’re going to list below a little gem in Trastevere where it’s prepared to perfection.

We found it at Osteria della Trippa (Trastevere)

A familiar presence in one of Trastevere’s most famous piazze, San Cosimato, restaurant Capo de’ Fero serves a dish you won’t find anywhere else in Rome: maccheroni democratici. This unique preparation belongs exclusively to this establishment!

While the exact recipe remains closely guarded, the recipe mixes sausage and abundant cheese. While deceivingly simple, it’s a perfect example of how Roman restaurants often maintain their own signature dishes, passed down through generations or created as house specialties that become neighborhood legends. Seeking out maccheroni democratici at Capo de’ Fero offers not just a meal, but a connection to Trastevere’s living culinary history.

We found it at: Capo de’ Fero (Trastevere)

If you’ve stumbled across pasta alla zozzona on social media—that rich, decadent combination of carbonara, amatriciana, cacio e pepe, and gricia that’s been making the TikTok rounds—you should know that it’s actually a variation of the lesser-known pasta alla botticella. A post-war creation, likely from the 1960s, this decisively answers the eternal question “carbonara or amatriciana?” with a resounding “both.”

The dish combines guanciale, pecorino, eggs, black pepper, and tomato into one gloriously indulgent plate. Legend suggests it originated at one of Rome’s several restaurants called “La Botticella”, but the name is so common, it’s actually hard to retrace the dish and its history.

Here’s the thing, though: pasta alla botticella is unquestionably a novelty dish at this point, and many Romans would be genuinely horrified at the thought of eating something so heavy. Traditional Roman cooks tend to be purists who believe carbonara is carbonara and amatriciana is amatriciana – they should never meet.

Yet, botticella represents a moment in Roman culinary history when post-war abundance encouraged creative abundance on the plate. If you manage to find it (we haven’t yet), just don’t order it before your afternoon walking tour of the Forum; you’ll need a nap first!

We found it at: we haven’t found it in any restaurants that are currently in business!

When the majority of people hear “gnocchi,” they picture those pillowy potato dumplings that have become synonymous with Italian comfort food. However, Rome has a distinctive version of the dish that couldn’t be more different: gnocchi alla romana, made not with potatoes but with semolina flour. These golden discs, arranged like overlapping tiles in a baking dish and baked until crispy on top and creamy within, represent a different chapter of Roman culinary tradition entirely.

They look closer to a cheesy gratin than to traditional gnocchi—soft, creamy, and melt-in-your-mouth tender on the inside, with a gloriously crispy, cheese-crusted top. While it may not have the Instagram appeal of amatriciana, gnocchi alla romana offers something equally valuable: an authentic taste of Roman home cooking that most tourists never encounter. Seek it out in traditional trattorias, or better yet, at Sunday pranzo in a Roman home if you’re lucky enough to score an invitation.

We found it at: Da Massi (Trastevere)

Some of Rome’s most beloved dishes never earned formal names—they’re simply known by their ingredients. Such is the case with this seasonal specialty that appears on trattoria menus from November through April, when the extraordinary broccolo romanesco is at its peak. This striking vegetable, with its fractal spirals of lime-green florets forming perfect geometric pyramids, is uniquely Roman, and pairing it with guanciale creates something truly magical.

The preparation is deceptively simple: the romanesco is blanched until tender, then often partially pureed to create a silky green sauce that coats the pasta, while some florets remain whole for texture. The guanciale (pork jowl) is rendered until crispy, its fat adding richness to the delicate flavor of the romanesco. The result is comforting yet refined, substantial yet seasonal—the kind of dish that reminds you why Romans are so particular about eating what’s in season. If you visit Rome in winter or early spring, seek out this preparation. It may not have a catchy name, but it deserves a place in any exploration of authentic Roman pasta.

We found it at: Osteria della Suburra (Monti)

For those willing to venture beyond Rome’s city limits—or to seek out trattorie that celebrate the broader Lazio region—schiaffoni alla Frascatana offers a taste of the Castelli Romani area. This dish hails from Frascati, the charming hilltop town famous for its white wine and located just a short train ride from Rome’s city center.

The sauce typically features a hearty combination of tomato, ground meat, chicken giblets, and sometimes sweetbreads, all slow-cooked with a generous pour of local Frascati wine. A different version that is offered on occasion features a simple tomato sauce. The key is, however, the cheese: sprinkled with abundant mozzarella, the dish is completed in the oven and served in an earthenware bowl. The result is indulgent,  the kind of substantial pasta that sustained farmers and vineyard workers through long days of physical labor.

While you’ll rarely find this dish in Rome’s centro storico, restaurants that focus on regional Lazio cuisine often include it on their menus. It’s worth the hunt, especially if you pair it with a crisp glass of Frascati wine to complete the experience.

We found it at: Cantina Simonetti (Frascati)

So when you find yourself in Rome, by all means enjoy your carbonara—it’s deservedly famous. However, save room for the adventures that await beyond the familiar. Seek out these hidden treasures, ask your server about the specials of the day, and remember that the best meals often come from following the lead of locals who know that the glory of Roman cuisine has solid roots but is growing in all kinds of different directions. In doing so, you’ll discover the Rome that the Trecastelli brothers want to share: a city where every plate of pasta has a story, and where culinary traditions run as deep as the ancient stones beneath your feet.