I was on a countryside tour, sitting in the back of a white Nissan enjoying the views of Frascati, only a short train trip from Rome. Our tour guide Pier was quickly rattling off different historical facts of the area, and like most of my Italian holiday conversations, the topic seamlessly turned to pizza. I first assumed the position of pizza connoisseur, I mean I’ve had my fair share back at home, however Roman pizza was something I quickly realised I knew little about.
Pinsere
Rome might be a city bursting at the seams with tourists and historical sites however if you know where to look you can easily find some hidden treasures of your own. To start with you need to stop looking for pizza that resembles moon hitting your eye and start looking for ovals and rectangles. Oval shaped pizza is called a ‘pinsa’, coming from the Latin word ‘pinsere’ meaning to stretch out. It was originally made during the Roman Empire and can be found today at a gem among the rough, Pinsere, on Via Flavia, 98 – you won’t miss it, it’s always full of Italians filling up for lunch. The ‘pinse’ are lined up behind the glass and cooked in the oven once purchased. They come out light, crispy and delicious. I would recommend one but it’s too hard to pick, I enjoyed them all, just be prepared to stand because there is no seating room!
La Renella
Metres of focaccia and pizza lined up behind glass windows is common in Rome, you pick out your flavour, size and pay by weight. One I highly recommend for a high quality, cheap lunch is across the river at La Renella Forno Antico Trastevere on Via del Moro, 15. These rectangular pieces of pizza might not resemble anything fancy at first but once you’ve tried their soft dough you’ll know what the fuss is about. I recommend the anchovy and zucchini flower pizza or the vegetable pizza.
Forno Roscioli
Finally, another by the slice pizza I recommend is at the very famous Forno Roscioli in the heart of Rome. This place needs no introduction but deserves all the praise it gets. I recommend a slice of their mozzarella and cherry tomato pizza. Unlike the other two, this pizza has a thicker dough, perhaps more like a focaccia, however it is incredibly light and fluffy. While at Roscioli don’t forget to pick up some of their other goodies or try out some of their other locations, their pasticceria has some gorgeous goodies that are worth a look and only a short walk from their bakery.
Travel venture 