This Is Giada De Laurentiis' Favorite Restaurant For A Bowl Of Amatriciana In Rome

Even in the U.S., Giada De Laurentiis is hitting up Italian restaurants stateside. But, when she's in Rome, the chef and television personality is paying a visit to Trattoria al Moro. As she shares in episode two of her series "Everyday Giada," "If you're in Rome and you want to try pasta all'amatriciana, my favorite place to have it is a restaurant called Al Moro [...] they have the best pasta all'amatriciana, I think, in all of Rome." The chef shares that her family has been coming to this restaurant for "a very long time." Located steps from the world-famous Trevi fountain, Trattoria Al Moro has been open for over 100 years — history reflected in the quaint, intimate space itself. In addition to De Laurentiis, Al Moro has also been a regular haunt of other celebs like filmmaker Federico Fellini and fashion designer Valentino.

Trattorie showcase straightforward, regional fare made from locally-sourced, in-season ingredients, and are often owned by families. Describing the dining experience at Al Moro, De Laurentiis says, "It's kind of like going to somebody's home and having them cook for you." While dishes and preparations can (and do) vary from one trattoria to the next, pasta all'amatriciana is a staple of trattorie in Rome. In true cucina povera, simple-ingredients-transformed cooking style, the dish is built on a foundation of tomatoes, Pecorino Romano, and guanciale. For the uninitiated, guanciale is a toothy, salty cut of pork jowl similar to pancetta which gets aged for major meaty flavor.

De Laurentiis is far from alone in her love for Trattoria Al Moro. The eatery's Instagram profile boasts more than 33K followers. In one post sharing a photo of the ristorante's Spaghetti Alla Moro, the comments section raves, "Best of all," "My favorite restaurant in THE WORLD (and I'm always traveling)," and "In my opinion, the best in Rome. Thus, the best in the world. When in Rome, we are with you."

Customer reviews on Tripadvisor also applaud other menu highlights at Trattoria Al Moro: "typical Roman trattoria [...] excellent Roman artichokes and carbonara light. above average prices." Other reviews also mention the somewhat steep prices, but praise the overall dining experience, writing, "Respect for tradition and exaltation of tastes. Price a bit high but to try absolutely!" and "Just a few meters from the Trevi fountain in hidden alley a gem of Roman cuisine. Many tourists but also aficionados," lauding De Laurentiis' favorite pasta dish as a "divine, one-of-a-kind amatriciana with delicate flavor." At Trattoria Al Moro, the pasta all'amatriciana costs 23 euros. Like any Roman trattoria, the menu rotates based on available, in-season ingredients, but currently-available dishes include traditional Italian classics like bottarga spaghetti (26 euros), coratella lamb and artichokes (24 euros), and more. For ambitious home cooks still waiting on their trip to Rome, our traditional bucatini all'amatriciana recipe can help tide appetites over in the meantime.