Easyfix Roma
Margit Szermer
slow roasted tomato pasta PrintAuthor: Jeanine DonofrioServes: serves 4-6IngredientsMake ahead - Roast the tomatoes:
- 8-10 roma tomatoes (or a few cups of cherry tomatoes) drizzle of olive oil salt & pepper fresh thyme sprigs
- 1lb pasta (use brown rice pasta if gluten free) 4 cloves garlic, chopped a good amount of olive oil (1/4 cup or so) 1 tablespoon anchovy paste (omit if vegetarian, add extra salt as needed) fresh lemon juice & zest a few tablespoons of capers toasted pine nuts tons of fresh basil pinches of red pepper flakes salt & pepper, to taste pecorino or parmesan cheese, optional
- Slice tomatoes in half, drizzle with olive oil, salt & pepper. Roast the tomatoes in approx a 200 degree oven. Add fresh thyme leaves near the very end. (so they don't burn). Roasting time will vary depending on the size of your tomatoes. I generally roast cherry tomatoes for 2-4 hours, and roma tomatoes (pictured), for 6-8. (See notes) Cook your pasta in salty water until a little less cooked than al dente, reserving some of the pasta water. In a large skillet, heat enough olive oil so it coats the bottom of the pan. When the oil is just barely simmering, and add the garlic and anchovy paste. Heat until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add the pasta and toss, adding some pasta water as needed. Add a few pinches of salt & pepper and continue to cook the pasta in the skillet until the pasta is perfectly al dente. (about 2 minutes more). Remove from heat, add a few big squeezes of lemon, some zest, and stir in capers, pine nuts, red pepper flakes, fresh basil, salt, pepper and the tomatoes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add more olive oil, salt, pepper, and grated parmesan cheese, to taste.
They're done when they're entirely dried out. (you can store them in a jar filled with olive oil). But feel free to take them out while they're still a little juicy and toss them directly onto your pasta.
tip: if I'm not going to be home for 8 straight hours, I turn the oven off (leave the oven door shut) and just turn it back on whenever I come back.3.4.3177
I have a family of 10 that I need to transport with luggage from FCO airport to Rome. To Rome to Civitavecchia and from Civitavecchia to Rome and back to the airport again. Would it be better to go by train for all those transfers or would the rental Van be easier and more economical. It would cost around $89 dollars total a day. I hear that it is terrible to drive in Rome. Has anyone tried this. Are there multiple toie roads. There is a parking garage near our flat for 8 euros. If we did get the Van, are there some other interesting places we could visit outside of Rome in a days drive. Could we drive to the Appian Way and other on the edge of town sites easily. How is driving outside the city? Has anyone dropped off or picked up a car from hertz in Civitavecchia: was it a long way from the cruise port.
In your particular situation "...easier and more economical..." are, in my opinion, mutually exclusive. The most economical way would probably be renting two vans -- but not very easy from any standpoint. The easiest way is to hire a car service and let them hassle with the traffic and etc. Yes, it will be expensive, but considering what is already being spent for / by ten people on this trip, it's probably not going to really be that much more.
Upon your arrival after a long flight, with a large group, having jet lag, and not being familiar with the area, there will be nothing better than having your private driver(s) meet your group inside the terminal and whisk all of you to your destination. Same holds true for getting to and from the port. It is not the cheapest way, but it is definitely the best. We can't say enough good things about Rome Cabs. It is a private car service and not a cab company despite the name. We always use them and have always been very pleased. Go to romecabs.com and see what you think. We always send an email detailing our needs and they answer us with a quote within 24 hours. At one time you had to pay cash (Euros) and the end of the journey but not in advance. But I think they now take credit cards. Can't hurt to check it out and get a quote.
First of all you can't get 10 people plus all of that luggage into a normal sized van...If you DID manage to rent a vehicle (minibus) large enough for all of you - I highly doubt it will fit into the parking garage. Yes, driving into Rome is NOT what you want to do especially driving a minibus. Yes, there are interesting places outside of Rome to drive to, but why would you take the trouble of flying into Rome, navigating into historic Rome only to LEAVE historic Rome to visit someplace else???
Please be aware that in some countries your regular driving licence only allows you to have a maximum of 9 persons (incl. driver) in the car. From 10 persons onward you need a special bus driver's licence plus possibly some other permits. I am not sure if this regulation also applies to Italy, but if you really want to drive you may want to check on it.
The $89/day is just the beginning. There are additional charges related to gas, parking, potential for parking tickets, etc. Ten people will have a lot of luggage. 8 euro for all day parking is very cheap in Rome so I question exact what the 8 euro is for. And driving in Rome is crazy for the average American tourist since they do not understand or know local driving customs especially when it comes to red lights. Who is going to be the responsible driver for the mob???? Personally that is not a viable option.
Not knowing where you"flat" is but assuming it is somewhere near central Rome, take a taxi - flat rate - 48 euro for 4 people and luggage. Taxis are very reliable. Just go to the que and the start will assign you the taxi. Train would be more expensive at 14 euro/person and then you probably would need a taxi to the flat. Use local transportation while in Rome. Far cheaper than another day of car rental.
Getting to Civit.... is similar to the airport. Civit is about an hour or so away from Rome. The normal rate for a car and driver is about 125 euro for two. The train will run between 8 and 12 euro depending on the train and takes between 45 mins and an hour fifteen. The slower train is cheaper. The port entrance is within a mile of the train station. Some walk it but local taxis and buses are available. It will be a zoo especially if more than one ship in port. Ask Roma Cabs for a quote for the mob. The convenience could justify the price.
Try looking at Sun Transfers. We have used them several times for transport from Rome airport to hotel and from hotel to cruise port. Always been reliable and reasonable rates. So much easier than driving yourself.
An easy fix would be to have the cruise line or travel agent arrange the transportation. However, this could/would be expensive, maybe. When we did our Transatlantic cruise our travel agent inquired about this very item . Since we were driving to Civitavecchia from Ariccia, which is just southeast of Roma, we dropped off the rental car at the Autoeurope office and walked across the street to the port bus loading area.
Now, since you have a lot of people sharing the cost among ten people could be more economical by arranging your own transportation using a private company and it would meet all of your needs. When we fly into Roma we always use romashuttle.com for transit to our hotel downtown. A few years ago there were five of us and we used this company for transportation from Roma to FCO and it was more economical than the cost of just two people.
Since you obviously are going on a cruise, how much luggage do you anticipate having? That is a big factors. We have boarded several cruises out of Civit.... and luggage can be an issue. We get by with a total of three carryon size bags for two of us. But that is well below average from our observation of other boarding passengers. We were once asked what luggage forwarding service we had used since we only had three bags at check-in.
I am confused by the recommendation given a few posts up by arlineconnolly11 who highly recommends a company having used it several times. The reason I am Mr Confused is that in her other post she sounds like a first time visitor to Rome and gets information about taxis and other transport.
I agree and wondered the same thing but gave the "benefit of doubt." Could also be a guidebook expert. We have a few here, more so in the past, that read three guidebooks and think they are experts on European travel. I would check her recommendation very, very carefully.
As for OP, renting a van or two to get around for this segment of their journey, is probably the worst idea for getting to/from all the places they need to go.( I will concede that it could be fairly debated that walking might be worse, but I believe the underlying assumption was relating to motorized transport)
Tucked into the backside of Piazza Trinita del Monti, its ancient stone doorway partly obscured by vines, Sora Magherita is unassuming, slightly hushed. Lucia Ziroli, who runs the 90-year-old trattoria with her husband and son, is anything but.
Sora Magherita is the sort of place where tender, eggy pasta is made fresh each morning, hung to dry over the backs of chairs. Where the menu is handwritten and rarely used. Where the wine is house, served in carafes on wobbly tables.
As my praise grows fevered, Ziroli softens. Soon I stand at the kitchen. Pecorino and pepper are mixed with starchy pasta cooking water. Then the noodles, and much tossing. More cheese and pepper. More tossing. It is done in seconds.
American-Italian fare is robust, pungent with garlic, tomato and herbs. In Rome, a bold simplicity built from few ingredients is more common. You never know whether it was carefully executed or carelessly tossed together. The truth likely is yes.