Eating Italian Amatriciana The origins and ingredients of this zesty sauce can stir heated debate in Italy. Some trace it to the mountain village of Grisciano, where for centuries it was prepared with guanciale (dried pork cheek) and grated local pecorino. At some point, cooks began adding a little olive oil. Then in the late 18th century, the tomato (il pomodoro or "golden apple") made its way into the sauce, which became the signature dish of an impoverished nearby town. Amatrice was part of Abruzzo until Mussolini's fascist government redrew provincial borders in 1923 and made it part of Lazio. As Amitrice's poor residents migrated to Rome early in the 20th century, their simple tomato sauce became so popular that Romans often argue that it is—and has always been—one of their classic dishes. Long paired with spaghetti, amatriciana is now often served with bucatini, dry long pasta with a small hole in the center. Chef Andrew Selvaggio of www.cook-italian.com suggests Amitriciana sauce as a perfect way for gardeners to make the most of an overabundant harvest of tomatoes. His recipe uses crispy pancetta or prosciutto and red pepper flakes to give Amatriciana its heat. "Because of the simplicity of Amatriciana sauce, be sure to use the finest ingredients," says Selvaggio. "It makes a big difference, especially considering that there are only a few critical ingredients." If using canned rather than fresh tomatoes, he recommends imported San Marzano tomatoes for the most authentic-tasting sauce. "Because you are frying the prosciutto I do not recommend using a high cost prosciutto unless you're using the trimmings off the bone or exterior," he says. "And the Parmesan cheese should be of highest quality, imported if possible and freshly grated. Sugo all'Amatriciana For 4-6 portions Ingredients 1 peeled medium-sized red onion, chopped 8 ounces pancetta or prosciutto, diced in 1/4 inch cubes 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 and 1/2 pounds very ripe, fresh tomatoes or 1 and 1/2 pounds canned San Marzano tomatoes, drained, all passed through a food mill with the smallest disk 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes sea salt and freshly ground black pepper I pound dried bucatini, vermicelli, or spaghetti (preferably imported Italian) Directions Render the fat from the pancetta or the prosciutto by placing it in a medium saucepan over low heat with the oil and sauteing for I5 minutes or until very crisp. Remove the crispy pancetta or prosciutto and set it aside until needed. Add the onion to saucepan and saute for 5 minutes, until it is soft and begins to brown. Add the tomatoes, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper to taste. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring with a non-metallic spoon. Boil the pasta in plenty of salted boiling water; cook until al dente, for 9 to 12 minutes, depending on the brand and the type of pasta (see www.cook-italian.com. Andrew Selvaggio Here is the important part: Transfer the sauce to a separate large skillet set on low heat. Raise the temperature and add the crispy pancetta or prosciutto; sauté for 30 seconds. Remove the Pasta Amatriciana from the heat, add the cheese, mix very well, and transfer to a warmed serving platter. Serve immediately. You can buy hard-to-find ingredients for this and other Italian recipes at the Cook-ItalianShop Marketplace.   Touring Italian Rome's Campidoglio The earliest Romans, legend tells us, found a human skull on one of the hills of their new settlement. They took it as a sign that Rome would one day become the Caput Mundi ("head of the world" in Latin). From "caput" came the hill's Latin name Capitolium and the Italian Capitolino, roots of the English word capitol. No other piece of Roman real estate remains more sacred or more steeped in history. The temple of Jupiter, god of light and sky and protector of the state, built in 509 B.C. and almost as large as the Parthenon in Athens, hallowed this site. The kings of Rome honored their family gods here—and hurled traitors to their death from its heights. The first to suffer this fate was the Roman maiden Tarpeia, who let Sabine invaders into the city. When Julius Caesar suffered an accident, an indication of the wrath of Jupiter, he approached the hill and Jupiter's temple on his knees as a way of averting further bad luck. He was nonetheless murdered six months later, and Brutus and his other assassins locked themselves inside the temple afterwards. During the Middle Ages, the site became the center of civic government, but after the sack of Rome in 1527, the muddy, devastated Capitoline became known as "goat hill." When Charles V planned a visit to Rome, Pope Paul III Farnese asked Michelangelo to restore its former glory. Michelangelo's vision became the Piazza del Campidoglio, one of the most graceful urban spaces in the world. He redesigned the Palazzo Senatorio, a fortress that served as the home of the Roman senate until 1870 and now is the seat of the City of Rome. He also designed a new facade for the Palazzo dei Conservatori, part of the Capitoline Museums, and created a new building, the Palazzo Nuovo, which houses classic ancient sculptures. Construction started in 1546 but only the staircase at the entrance of the Palazzo Senatorio was completed when Michelangelo died in 1564. The project was not finished until the 17th century, but most of Michelangelo's designs were implemented. His long, beautiful staircase to the Piazza del Campidoglio, known as the Cordonata, is adorned with granite statues of Egyptian lions at the foot and two large classical statues of Castor and Pollux at the top. Surveying the city from the center of the piazza is a bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius on horseback. As long as this figure of the Roman Emperor stands, an old saying goes, Rome will endure. Its citizens shrug at such superstitious nonsense, but when the ancient equestrian started showing signs of erosion, they substituted a copy and whisked the original inside the Capitoline Museum. I like to visit the Campidoglio in the morning before the crowds arrive. The view reminds me of an observation made by the linguist Ernst Pulgram in The Tongues of Italy—that the Romans and their descendants "thrice ruled the western world in three different domains of human endeavor: once in government and law, once in religion, and once in art." To this trio of triumphs, he added a fourth—in language. As I look out at the glory that was Rome and think of the great words of those that climbed this hill, I couldn't agree more. Recommended Readings: Rome in Detail: A Guide for the Expert Traveler. Rizzoli, 2003.