You could probably say 'pasta alla gricia' is like the famous 'matriciana' without the tomato sauce. However if you try it, you'll find it a very difficult pasta recipe to get right. The fact that the ingredients are very few, easy to source and the dish is from the home cooking traditions of Lazio, does not mean this is the beans on toast of Roman cuisine. The mix between strong opposing tastes is a real alchimia and very few can say they know how to do it just right.

ingredients

fresh homemade pasta (or spaghetti), guanciale (cured jowl of the pig), black pepper, pecorino cheese, parmesan cheese, olive oil

'Tis The Season. March is when the artichoke season is in full swing in Rome, where you will find the famous fried delicacy in almost every restaurant in the city. The history of this dish has been lost in time, although their Italian denomination (Carciofi alla Giudia), meaning "Jewish-style artichokes") traces the recipe back to the Jewish quarter of Rome.

At any rate, artichokes were already being eaten in Ancient Rome and in fact weren't introduced to America until Italian immigrants arrived in the 1900s. Roman artichokes are renowned for being particularly large and tender, and come March, visitors to the eternal city will notice the plate dominating daily special signs throughout the region. Incorporate a taste of Italy into your own home with our favorite local recipes:

This dish is wonderful sitting on a terrace overlooking the Gulf of Gaeta in south Lazio or at a table of one of the many restaurants inside the old walled town of Nettuno.

ingredients

1 kg squid or 'seppie', 400 gr tomato sauce or ragu, 1 tin of peas, half onion, half glass olive oil, salt, hot pepper

Preparing artichokes is an art and to be honest we still haven't worked it out. Fortunately, they do come ready prepared in bundles of 6 in plastic bags from old ladies in the street markets. Anyway this is the way.

This is a speciality of Italian Jewish cuisine during the Easter 'Pesach' which lasts 15 days. During this period no food is consumed containing yeast in contrast to many of the classic Easter bread and sweet dishes across the Italian regions.

This is an authentic Italian strawberry ice cream recipe. And if you are curious to know the difference between 'gelato' and 'ice cream', watch the video below.

Why not make a trip to Nemi and the Roman hills to collect some fabulous strawberries for this classic Italian dessert.

ingredients

eggs, sugar, milk, strawberries, fresh cream

This recipe has come from chef B. Hirst of Il Margutta Restaurant in central Rome. Il Margutta is one of the finest vegetarian restaurant in Italy.

The dish is a reconstruction of an old peasant meal which, legend has it, satisfied the witch who lived in the high plain of Montecchio

It is made of a few, simple ingredients such garlic and anchovies and it is very tasty and filling.

Literally translated 'lombrichi' means earthworms. Any why not. This homemade pasta was so popular with the Cardinal de Gambara that he would serve it every time to his guests.

In April, the markets of Rome and Lazio are heaving with fresh asparagus

They don't get more abundant and cheaper and this recipe is one of many ways to prepare them.