The First Thing Giada De Laurentiis Eats When She Arrives In Rome – It's Not Pasta

With multiple Food Network shows and several New York Times bestselling cookbooks under her belt, it's safe to say that Giada De Laurentiis is an well-trusted source when it comes to food, especially Italian cuisine. Over the years, the Roman-born chef has shared countless genius cooking tips along with endless recommendations with her fans, including the best places to visit in her hometown. De Laurentiis has even revealed what the very first thing she eats when she return to Rome –- some might be shocked to learn that it's not pasta. It is, in fact, a fresh slice of pizza bianca with mortadella from Antico Forno Roscioli.

Roscioli — which opened its first US location in 2023 — has been dishing out traditional Roman foods for over 200 years now, and its pizza outpost is often as a must-try for hungry foodie touring the Eternal City. De Laurentiis is just one of the many devout fans that has posted about the historic deli on social media. "This is my favorite thing to do when I first get to Rome," she said in TikTok video recorded from outside Antico Forno Roscioli. Taking a bite, she shares, "Pizza bianca with fresh mortadella ... This is home." 

Pizza bianca essentially translates to "white pizza" in English. Completely sauceless, it's more reminiscent of a flatbread. Typically, it's cooked in long, rectangular pans until golden. With a higher moisture level and a longer fermentation period than the pies we're used to in America, Rome's pizza bianca is thin, crispy, and incredibly light. 

Pizza bianca is either served as is or stuffed with veggies, porchetta, or mortadella. De Laurentiis prefers the latter, having eaten the delicacy with the bologna-adjacent cured meat nearly every day for lunch as a child. On her website she explains, "Pizza Bianca is quintessentially Roman, and though it's a dish not everyone understands at first, it only takes a few bites to become a believer. It's like the best pita pocket in the world, only Italian!" 

While De Laurentiis loves Roscioli's version, if you can't make it to Rome, you can easily make pizza bianca at home. Using your favorite pizza dough recipe, roll out the pizza into a thin rectangle, dimpling it and seasoning it with olive oil and salt, before cooking in a hot oven on a pizza stone. Once it's ready, simply brush on more olive oil and top as you please. Alternatively, you can also visit Roscioli's New York City location where they sell De Laurentiis' favorite dish. Just close your eyes and pretend your on your own Roman adventure!