This recipe is inspired by 2 great traditional Roman dishes, GRICIA and VELLETRI's GRILLED ARTICHOKES, and binds them through the Italian pasta par excellence: egg fettuccine.

In addition, Clotilde has combined traditional tastes with innovative techniques for the creation of a dish that recollects the best of the products of the Roman and Ciociaria countryside.

But let's go step by step: if everyone should know what Gricia is, maybe not everyone knows Matticella, even if in Velletri there is even a festival dedicated to matticella artichokes.

The Velletri area is historically dedicated to the cultivation of grapes and the production of an excellent wine which has been appreciated since Roman times. Indeed, it is said that in 1222 Saint Francis passed through Velletri and performed the miracle of freeing the vineyards from worms, called Magnacozze, which were destroying the plants.

Those who cultivate vineyards know that the cinema must be pruned twice a year and each pruning involves the production of a large quantity of brushwood which in Velletri is allowed to dry for use in the kitchen. In fact, with the scraps from the pruning of the vineyards the bed of embers is prepared on which to cook the 'matticelle', or the cut vine branches.

In this way the aromas of the brushwood of the vineyards penetrate the artichoke and increase its perfume enriching it with a particular nuance. A tradition that is celebrated in Velletri every year.

For this dish we have chosen excellent products from the countryside south of Rome: the Sezze artichoke, a Romanesque artichoke which is a delicacy of the Lepini Mountains, and Veroli bacon.

Recipe of Fettuccine alla Matticella

400 gr egg fettuccine, 120 gr Pecorino Romano, 150 gr seasoned Veroli bacon, 2 Sezze artichokes, 50 ml of Velletri white wine, 3 gr of black pepper, salt.

Everything starts from the famous Sezze artichokes that we clean of the internal beard and we cover them with garlic, mint, parsley and bacon before cooking our artichoke.

As for the outer leaves of the artichoke, we only remove one row because they will be used to keep the inside soft once the artichoke is put on the embers.

When our embers are ready, we insert the artichoke from the bottom and cook it for about 15 minutes, but the time depends on the size of the artichoke.

Once cooked, we remove the external leaves and reheat the artichoke under vacuum at low temperature 93° for 1 hour, break it down and cut it into lozenges. In the meantime, we cut our bacon into 2 cm thick strips and put it in a pan to toast until golden brown.

We add a half glass of wine and add our cut artichokes.

Drain the fettuccine and let them flavour with the sauce by flooding it all with pecorino romano “coccia nera”. A nice amount of grated black pepper and call everyone to the table.

And if you want to taste it by those who are experts and can guide you in its discovery, you can start with Clotilde in Rome going to Piazza Cardarelli, right on the corner with Via della Scrofa, one of the most beautiful areas in Rome. So you can taste our dishes and take a walk in the heart of our beautiful city.

The artichoke is one of the most difficult foods to match with wine, we recommend a Cesanese del Piglio. We have chosen a Camere Pinte from the L’Avventura farm.