Lazio Food

Lazio’s food products are anchored in tradition and protected by a range of DOP (PDO) and IGP (PGI) designations. These include lamb, sheep’s milk cheeses, olive oils, vegetables, and orchard crops, shaped by the region’s Mediterranean hills, inland plains, and volcanic soils.

Lazio is home to more than a dozen officially recognized food products under EU protection. Here are some of the most emblematic:

Protected Products

Abbacchio Romano refers to milk-fed lamb raised within Lazio. This protected meat product is central to Roman cuisine and commonly served during Easter and Christmas.

Although much of its modern production occurs in Sardinia, Pecorino Romano remains deeply tied to Lazio, where it originated. This hard sheep’s milk cheese is aged for grating and is essential in Roman pasta dishes.

Made from the whey of sheep’s milk, Ricotta Romana has a delicate texture and is used in both savory preparations and pastries.

Though best known in Campania, this water buffalo cheese is also produced in parts of Lazio, including the provinces of Latina and Frosinone. It’s protected under the wider Campana PDO.

Lazio is known for several PDO olive oils:

• Sabina PDO – From the ancient territory of the Sabines, covering parts of Rome and Rieti.
• Canino PDO – From the volcanic hills near Viterbo.
• Colline Pontine PDO – From the coastal hills of Latina.
• Tuscia PDO – From the northern Lazio province of Viterbo.

These oils are primarily made from local cultivars like Caninese, Carboncella, and Leccino.

This globe artichoke variety is recognized for its large head, purple-green color, and tender inner leaves. It’s particularly associated with Roman-style cooking, including carciofi alla romana and alla giudia.

This delicate white bean is grown in the Atina valley of Frosinone and prized for its thin skin and creamy interior.

The Roman hazelnut grows in the volcanic soils around the Cimini Hills and is widely used in desserts and traditional sweets.

This large, rustic sourdough bread is produced using natural yeast and baked in wood-fired ovens. It is one of the first Italian breads to receive PGI status.

This bright red, tapered pepper has a mild flavor and thin skin. It is grown in the province of Frosinone.

Grown near the coastal town of Sperlonga, this white celery is appreciated for its tenderness and low fiber content.

A sweet chestnut cultivated on the volcanic slopes near Viterbo, typically roasted or used in holiday desserts.

The province of Latina is one of Europe’s top producers of kiwifruit, which gained PGI status for its size, sweetness, and aroma.

Lazio (and especially Rome) is famous for its cucina romana—a tradition of simple, bold-flavored dishes born from “cucina povera” (peasant cooking), offal-based recipes, and ancient rural practices. Below are some of the dishes you should feature.

Pasta Classics (Primi)

Literally “cheese and pepper,” this is one of Rome’s foundational pasta dishes: cooked pasta (often tonnarelli or spaghetti) tossed with aged Pecorino Romano, freshly cracked black pepper, and a little pasta cooking water to form a creamy emulsion.

Sometimes considered the ancestor of amatriciana. It uses guanciale (cured pork cheek), Pecorino Romano, and black pepper, without tomato.

(Amatriciana / Matriciana)

Named for the town of Amatrice in Lazio, this pasta is dressed in a tomato-guanciale-pecorino sauce. The dish is also protected as a traditional specialty (TSG).

A globally beloved pasta dish: eggs, Pecorino Romano (or sometimes a mix with Parmigiano), guanciale, and pepper. The trick is making a silky sauce without scrambling the eggs.

Not potato gnocchi, but semolina-based rounds, baked with butter, cheese (often Parmigiano / Pecorino) until golden.

A rustic dish of pasta and chickpeas, reflecting the region’s tradition of combining legumes and grains in one pot.

In many Roman trattorie, leftover “coda” (oxtail) stew is turned into a pasta sauce. Rigatoni are a classic pairing.

A bold, traditional dish using pajata (the intestine of a milk-fed calf) cooked with leftover chyme. It develops a creamy texture in tomato sauce.

Meat, Offal & Sunday Dishes (Secondi & Specialty)

A classic Roman oxtail stew, the “quinto quarto” (fifth quarter, i.e. offal tradition) of Roman cuisine. Ingredients include celery, carrot, tomato, aromatics, sometimes cinnamon, raisins, pine nuts, and a touch of chocolate. The slow‑cooked meat becomes falling-off-the-bone tender.

Lamb (often milk‑fed, i.e. abbacchio) cooked with garlic, rosemary, white wine, olive oil, and sometimes vinegar and anchovies. A seasonal favorite especially around Easter.

Perhaps Lazio’s best-known roast pork. Whole pig or pork cut is herb-rubbed, spitted, seasoned (rosemary, garlic, pepper) and slow-roasted until the skin is crispy. In Roman food culture, porchetta sandwiches are iconic.

Chicken (often on the bone) braised with onions, tomatoes, wine, bell peppers, garlic, herbs. A Roman rustic classic from Castelli Romani area.

A “leftover” dish in which boiled meat (often veal) from a broth is sautéed with tomato, vegetables, wine, and herbs, often served with polenta or mashed potatoes.

Tripe cooked slowly with tomato, mint, pecorino cheese, sometimes onion or garlic — another example of Roman offal tradition.

Vegetables, Sides & Seasonal Dishes

Roman‑style artichokes braised with garlic, parsley, mint (lesser calamint) in olive oil and water, often served warm or at room temp. Made with artichokes of the Romanesco variety.

A Jewish-Roman specialty: whole artichokes deep-fried until crispy, open like a flower. Particularly associated with the Jewish Ghetto of Rome.

A simple soup made by drizzling a beaten mixture of egg, Parmesan, sometimes semolina, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and lemon zest into boiling meat broth, forming thin “shreds” (stracci). Traditionally served at Easter.

A local pasta from Canepina (in Viterbo province): strands made with egg and flour, dried on linen or hemp, paired with ragù, mushrooms, or meat sauces.

Desserts, Sweets & Breads

Soft sweet buns often filled with whipped cream. They have ancient origins in Roman tradition and are a common breakfast treat.

Deep-fried rice balls with mozzarella inside, akin to Roman street food.

A soft interior, crusty bread typical in Rome, often used for porchetta sandwiches.