Stanley Tucci: Searching For Italy travels to Rome in search of the famous Four Pastas

Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy, the critically-acclaimed six-part CNN Original Series that follows Academy Award nominee Stanley Tucci as he travels across Italy to discover the secrets and delights of the country’s regional cuisines, continues on CNN International this weekend.

The second episode, airing on Sunday 27^th June, features Tucci traveling to the Italian capital of Rome in search of the famous Four Pastas. Situated in Lazio, Tucci hears that the ancient city is often overlooked in the gastronomic department.

Episode Synopsis:

Stanley Tucci meets up with an old friend Claudia della Frattina and head to a little restaurant called Armando al Pantheon. Stanley and Claudia order rigatoni all’amatriciana, one of the famous four Roman pastas. Made from tomatoes, pecorino, and guanciale - the fatty cheek of a pig.

Stanley hears that out of the Four Pastas, carbonara is currently popular, so that’s what he wants next. His guide is chef, DJ and food historian, Daniele De Michele, whose stage name is Don Pasta. They head to Pommidoro, in the working-class neighbourhood of San Lorenzo. Owned by Aldo Bravi, he samples the carbonara cooked with guanciale, pecorino, black pepper and eggs.

Next, Stanley meets Massimiliano Tonelli, the editor of a food magazine. They head to a neighbourhood deli owned and run by Vincenzo Mancino. Stanley tries a selection of beautiful cheeses and pork sausages made from the sheep and pigs farmed in the region.

Stanley meets food critic Katie Parla who takes Stanley to Santo Palato, an offal restaurant run by chef Sarah Cicolini. Sarah cooks a frittata with mashed chicken offal followed by classic Roman tripe cooked in tomatoes. They also try wagyu heart tartare followed by oxtail meatball with peanut, wild celery and cocoa powder sauce.

Stanley meets Italia Tagliacozzo, child of the Roman ghetto who miraculously survived the Nazi occupation of the city. Despite being in her 80s, she bristles with energy and runs a restaurant in the ghetto making Jewish Roman food. She shows Stanley the art of making the best fried artichokes.

Finally, Stanley visits Bistrot64 where an out-of-towner, Japanese chef Kotaro Noda cooks extraordinary cacio e pepe. It looks simple but it’s extremely hard to get right.

Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy airs on CNN International from June 27^th [all times BST]: 
Sundays at 12:00, 16:00, 19:00 and 02:00; and Wednesdays at 12:00, 19:00 and 02:00