Osteria da Fortunata

Dishes mentioned

• Olive ascolane

  The olive ascolane are good — a nice antipasto to start with.

• Supplì
• Cacio e Pepe
• Carbonara

  The carbonara here is good — the ingredients are fresh, the pasta is handmade, and the guanciale is tasty. But I think the guanciale is cut too thin; I prefer it thicker and crunchier. Also, it's missing a bit of pecorino cheese — I'd add another half spoonful. Overall, it's a 7 out of 10 for me. The flavors don't quite come together as well as the Cacio e Pepe.

• Amatriciana

  The Amatriciana is really good — it's my favorite of the three pastas we tried. The pasta is handmade and the sauce is flavorful. I think it's better than the Cacio e Pepe, even though the others disagree. I'd give it a high score, maybe 8.5 or 9.

Dishes mentioned

• Strozza Preti alla Gricia con Carciofi

  This is their signature dish — strozzapreti pasta with guanciale, artichokes, pecorino, and black pepper. The guanciale is rendered until crispy, the artichokes are sliced thin and sautéed until tender, and everything is emulsified with pasta water and pecorino to create a creamy, rich sauce. The texture is incredible — the pasta is handmade and has a great bite, and the combination of salty guanciale, sweet artichokes, and sharp pecorino is perfectly balanced. I could eat this every day.

• Saltimbocca alla Romana

  The saltimbocca here is made with veal scaloppine, prosciutto, and sage, cooked in guanciale fat and butter with a splash of wine and broth. The meat is pounded thin and tender, then wrapped in a whole slice of prosciutto and fried until the prosciutto gets crispy and golden. The sauce is a beautiful emulsion — buttery, savory, and rich. It's so tender you don't even need a knife, it just melts in your mouth. The guanciale fat gives it an extra layer of flavor that really elevates the dish.

• Fettuccine con Sugo della Coda alla Vaccinara

  The fettuccine with oxtail ragù is one of their most requested dishes. The sauce is slow-cooked for hours, very traditional, and you don't find it everywhere. The oxtail becomes incredibly tender and the sauce is rich and deeply flavored. It's a real Roman classic that people are curious about because you don't see oxtail on every menu.

• Tiramisù

  The tiramisù is made in-house with savoiardi biscuits, mascarpone cream, sugar, eggs, and coffee — strictly bitter coffee. They layer a thin layer of cream first, then the biscuits soaked in coffee, and repeat. They make about fifteen of these a day. It's classic, simple, and perfectly executed.

Dishes mentioned

• Ravioli di Ricotta di Pecora con Burro e Salvia

  I make these ravioli with sheep's milk ricotta, lemon zest, and basil. The filling is creamy and fresh, and the lemon zest gives it a bright kick that makes you want another bite immediately. The sauce is just clarified butter and a splash of vegetable broth, emulsified into a silky cream. It's incredibly tender and flavorful — a perfect balance.

• Coratella con Carciofi

  This is a traditional Roman dish made with lamb innards — kidney, lungs, heart, and liver — braised with artichokes. The meat is incredibly tender, not chewy at all, and the flavors are concentrated from the fond that builds up during cooking. It melts in your mouth. I'm really impressed by how soft the lung is — it's not rubbery at all. Delicious.

Dishes mentioned

• Scialatielli alla Matriciana

  I watch Mattia prepare the Scialatielli alla Matriciana. He starts by rendering the guanciale fat, then adds the guanciale itself, letting it become transparent. He adds the pork rind (cotica) — a trick I didn't know — and lets it sizzle. Then he seasons with salt and chili, deglazes with red wine to prevent the chili from burning, and waits for the alcohol to evaporate. He adds crushed peeled tomatoes and lets the sauce simmer. The scialatielli pasta, which I tried making earlier, is perfect for this sauce because it's porous and catches all the flavor in its curves. He cooks the pasta for just 2 minutes, then tosses it in the pan, adds pecorino cheese, and mantecatura. The final dish is abundant, with a beautiful snow of pecorino on top. I take a bite with a piece of guanciale — it's delicious. The scialatiello all'amatriciana at Fortunata is truly amazing.

• Coda alla Vaccinara

  I watch the chef prepare the Coda alla Vaccinara. He starts with a soffritto of celery, carrots, and onion, cut into large chunks because it's a poor dish and you want to feel them when you eat. He explains this is a traditional Roman dish from Trastevere, named after the vaccinari (butchers) who skinned animals and cooked the tail quickly because it was a cheap cut. He adds the oxtail pieces — big vertebrae that will fall off the bone. He toasts the meat with salt, pepper, and chili, then deglazes with red wine and adds tomato. There's a secret ingredient he won't reveal — you have to come eat to discover it. The dish simmers for 5 hours on very low heat. After the wait, the meat is falling off the bone. He plates three or four pieces, and the aroma is incredibly rich. I try it — it's soft, flavorful, and delicious. I wish I had bread to do a scarpetta.