Kitchen Recipe Collection
Italian Trippa alla Romana (Roman Style Tripe)
A beloved Roman offal dish. Honeycomb tripe slow-cooked until meltingly tender in a rich tomato sauce, heavily flavored with wild mint (mentuccia) and Pecorino Romano cheese.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 120 min
- Total
- 140 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- medium
- Cuisine
- italian
Ingredients
Scaled for 4 servings
- honeycomb tripe (pre-boiled/cleaned, cut into strips)
- onion, carrot, celery (for soffritto)
- garlic
- dry white wine
- canned crushed tomatoes
- fresh mint (mentuccia if available) or pennyroyal
- pecorino romano cheese (grated)
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven or heavy pot
Instructions
- 1
Prepare Tripe
Even if buying 'cleaned/pre-boiled' tripe, boil it again in salted water with a splash of vinegar for 20 minutes to soften it and remove any residual strong odors. Drain and slice into thin strips.
- 2
Soffritto
Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven. Sauté finely chopped onion, carrot, celery, and garlic until soft and fragrant.
- 3
Sauté Tripe
Add the tripe strips to the pot. Sauté for 10 minutes to lightly brown the edges and render any fat.
- 4
Deglaze
Pour in the white wine and let the alcohol evaporate completely.
- 5
Add Tomatoes
Stir in the crushed tomatoes. Season with salt and lots of black pepper.
- 6
Simmer
Cover and simmer on low heat for 1.5 to 2 hours. The tripe must transform from rubbery to a tender, gelatinous texture.
- 7
The Roman Secret
Turn off the heat. Stir in a large handful of fresh chopped mint (this is crucial for the authentic Roman flavor profile, cutting the richness of the offal).
- 8
Add Cheese
Stir in a very generous amount of grated Pecorino Romano cheese.
- 9
Serve
Serve hot in bowls, topped with even more Pecorino cheese and a sprig of mint, alongside crusty bread.
Cooking Tips
- The mint is absolutely mandatory. It provides a cooling, herbaceous contrast that makes the dish uniquely Roman.
- Tripe is very lean but contains a lot of collagen, which thickens the tomato sauce beautifully.
Variations
- Trippa alla Fiorentina: The Florentine version skips the mint and often finishes the dish with Parmigiano-Reggiano instead of Pecorino.
Chef's Notes & Storage
- A staple of 'Saturday lunch' in traditional Roman trattorias.
Nutrition Estimate
350 calories · 28g protein · 12g carbs · 18g fat · 3g fiber per serving
