We had been in Rome a few nights, and a piece of lamb was making me laugh. It doesn’t happen often, but it’s a totally involuntary reaction—and my highest possible praise. There was nothing funny about our abbacchio alla romana, Roman-style roast suckling lamb, which is a springtime delicacy; I was more dumbstruck. It was our first trip back to Rome since my wife, Lauren, had been diagnosed with celiac disease, and we were eating as well as ever.
It may seem counterintuitive, but Rome is one of the world’s great gluten-free travel destinations. And although I don’t have celiac disease, Lauren and I like to share when we go out to eat—and you can’t Lady and the Tramp bucatini by yourself. For this trip I challenged myself not to be tempted by the pizza slices and crusty sandwiches that were now off-limits to Lauren, and it wasn’t that hard.
Italy is at the forefront of celiac disease research and screening, so gluten-free diets are taken very seriously nationwide. At many restaurants, not just dedicated gluten-free establishments, celiac-disease-level precautions are the baseline for gluten-free dishes rather than the exception. Servers in the US often ask, “Is cross-contamination an issue?” In Rome, by contrast, one server informed us as we sat down that because of the note I’d left on our reservation, the kitchen had already started boiling a separate pot of water in case we wanted to order gluten-free pasta. (Of course we did!)
Celiac disease is but one of many reasons travelers may need to avoid gluten. Since unwittingly joining this community last year, Lauren and I have learned more about other autoimmune conditions that sometimes lead folks to go gluten-free, including Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and inflammatory bowel diseases like ulcerative colitis. We’ve also learned the nuances that differentiate celiac disease from non-celiac gluten sensitivity, gluten intolerance, and wheat allergies. Planning this trip we were concerned that Lauren’s diagnosis might alter our dining experience in one of our favorite cities, and it did—but only for the better.
Local flavors
Roman cuisine is rich in alluring seasonal vegetable dishes and satisfying secondi (main courses, which are generally protein-focused) that are often naturally free of gluten. And since the city’s four canonical pasta dishes—cacio e pepe, amatriciana, carbonara, and gricia—typically call for dry rather than fresh shapes, many restaurants can easily make them using high-quality gluten-free offerings. At those that can’t there’s always laughter-inducing lamb.
