The regional Italian pasta recipes you should know
By Jose Andrés
Co-founder of My Pasta My Art, a fresh artisan pasta restaurant in Malasaña (Madrid).
Italy doesn't have one cuisine, it has twenty. Each region — often each province — has its canonical pasta recipes, tied to its local produce and history. This is a quick guide to the most emblematic ones, grouped by region.
Rome (Lazio): carbonara and cacio e pepe
Roman pasta cuisine is built on three pillars: pecorino romano, guanciale and black pepper. Carbonara adds egg. Cacio e pepe stays at pecorino and pepper — absolute minimalism. Amatriciana adds tomato and chilli.
Bologna (Emilia-Romagna): ragù and tortellini
True Bolognese ragù cooks for hours, with beef and pork, soffritto, wine and broth. Served with tagliatelle, never spaghetti. Tortellini in brodo is the region's festive dish.
Naples (Campania): puttanesca and vongole
Neapolitan pasta cuisine is based on San Marzano tomato, anchovies, olives and seafood. Spaghetti alle vongole is the coast's gastronomic postcard. Puttanesca is spicy, intense and quick.
Liguria: Genovese pesto
DOP Genovese pesto has seven precise ingredients: Pra basil, pine nuts, garlic, coarse salt, parmigiano, pecorino and Ligurian oil. Traditionally pounded in a marble mortar — processor heat ruins the basil.
These recipes in Madrid: My Pasta My Art
Our menu travels Italy's geography dish by dish, respecting each regional recipe. You can see the full menu with detailed descriptions and prices.
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