A Sardinian restaurant in Rome cannot afford to forget the cooking of the city that hosts it. At Da Luisu the Roman first courses live alongside the island's ones and share a common thread: pecorino, the cheese that links Lazio and Sardinia.
Pecorino, a bridge between Rome and Sardinia
Pecorino romano, an ingredient of carbonara, cacio e pepe and amatriciana, is largely produced in Sardinia itself. It is a curiosity that explains well why Roman and Sardinian cooking sit so comfortably on the same menu. On the Da Luisu menu pecorino appears in both Roman and Sardinian dishes, such as culurgiones, malloreddus and spaghetti alla vernaccia.
Spaghetti alla carbonara
In the classic recipe carbonara is made with guanciale, eggs, pecorino and pepper: no cream, the creaminess comes from the egg binding with the fat of the guanciale and the cooking water. On the menu it is offered with spaghetti, a long shape that holds the cream well.
Mezze maniche all'amatriciana
Amatriciana, born in Amatrice and adopted by Rome, is guanciale, pecorino and tomato: a simple sauce that lives on balance. Da Luisu serves it with mezze maniche, a short ridged shape that holds the sauce; you also find it, in pizza form, among the red pizzas with guanciale and pecorino.
Tonnarelli cacio e pepe
Cacio e pepe is the most essential of Roman recipes: pecorino and pepper, nothing else. On tonnarelli, long and rough, the cheese melts with the cooking water into an enveloping cream. Freshly ground pepper gives the character. A dish that takes skill: simplicity is unforgiving.
The other first courses
On the menu there are also tonnarelli with lemon and with porcini mushrooms, mezze maniche alla norma, penne all'arrabbiata, Cannonau risotto and spaghetti alla vernaccia di Oristano, which combine guanciale and pecorino with the Sardinian wine tradition.
The Roman-tradition main courses
Among the mains, saltimbocca alla romana, described on the menu as a dish of the Roman tradition with veal slices and ham, is another symbol of the capital's table: the name says how tasty it is, because it seems to jump into your mouth. With the veal escalopes with lemon and the beef strips with rocket it completes the chapter of Roman-style meat. For those who prefer a Sardinian touch, the veal escalopes with Cannonau combine veal with the island's red wine.
The fried starter, the pizza and the dessert
To start, the homemade supplì and the other fried dishes are the most Roman opening possible. To finish, tiramisu or grandmother's cake, depending on availability, stay in the Italian tradition, while the seada and the myrtle desserts take you back to Sardinia.
Which wine
With carbonara or cacio e pepe you can choose a fresh white such as a Vermentino or the Nuragus; with amatriciana a light red, such as Monica di Sardegna, described on the menu as fresh and soft. The restaurant's wine list gives a short pairing note for each wine.
A tip for ordering
If there are two of you, the most fun solution is to share one Roman and one Sardinian first course: for example a carbonara and malloreddus alla campidanese, to catch the two souls of the restaurant. Tonnarelli, a typical Roman egg pasta with a square section, are the ideal shape for cacio e pepe, but on the menu you also find them with lemon, with porcini mushrooms and with prawns. And for those who like spicy food without complications, there are the penne all'arrabbiata.
Book a table
To taste the Roman and the Sardinian first courses in the same meal, book with the form on the site or call 06 6156 4012. Da Luisu is at Via di Boccea 724, Rome.
