Mike and I love Italian food. So much so that we were recently talking about taking a dream trip to drive up and down Italy just to eat. It’s probably a noodle-y fever dream, but it does tell you we are serious about Italian food. We pretty much try to hit up an Italian restaurant in every city we go to. We have a couple here at home too, but we just demoted one of them, partially because their food hasn’t been that good and partially because they don’t have tripe anymore.

They were the only Italian joint in the city that served trippa alla Romana, or Roman style tripe: super tender, rich tripe slow braised in a savory tomato sauce. Trippa alla Romana is usually served showered with parm, with a large amount of toasted bread alongside. The soft and chewy tripe, along with toasty crunchy bread and savory tomato sauce is one of my all time go-to comfort food winter dishes.

Trippa alla Romana or Roman style tripe in tomato sauce: super tender and rich honeycomb tripe slow cooked in a savory Roman style tomato sauce. #tripe #italianfood #romanfood #recipe

Tripe is one of those foods that isn’t really common and I think it’s so sad. If we’re going to be eating animals, we should really be eating nose to tail. I know nose to tail is kind of trendy (well, maybe not so much anymore) and it’s not trendy to like trendy, but the off cuts are often the most delicious and most rewarding. Not to mention cheap!

Anyway, since we haven’t been able to have tripe out, Mike came up with the brilliant idea of making trippa alla Romana at home. I don’t know why I never thought of doing it before, but it was really easy and so good. We picked up some honeycomb tripe from our local Asian grocery store and from there it was just a question of slow cooking it and making a delicious tomato sauce to braise it in. We served it up with a bunch of toasty bread (there was way more bread than in the photos) and went to town, no expensive restaurant needed!

Some Recipe Notes:
You can buy tripe at the butcher, or if you head to a local Asian grocery store, they’re pretty much guaranteed to have it. The kind of tripe you want is honeycomb tripe, which is pretty distinctive looking, with a honeycomb pattern.

If you want a really tender tripe, you’ll need to simmer it for 1-2 hours. Some people like to add a tiny bit of vinegar to the water to get rid of the “tripe” smell, but I didn’t find that necessary.

We used some guanciale (cured pork cheek) in the base of our tomato sauce, but it was totally over the top and not necessary.

If you happen to have leftover tomato sauce in your fridge (or even a meat sauce), you can add the tripe to it and just use that. It’ll probably even more delicious!

Trippa alla Romana or Roman style tripe in tomato sauce: super tender and rich honeycomb tripe slow cooked in a savory Roman style tomato sauce. #tripe #italianfood #romanfood #recipe

 

Trippa alla Romana or Roman style tripe in tomato sauce: super tender and rich honeycomb tripe slow cooked in a savory Roman style tomato sauce. #tripe #italianfood #romanfood #recipe

Trippa alla Romana: Roman Style Tripe in Tomato Sauce

Super tender and rich honeycomb tripe slow cooked in a savory Roman style tomato sauce.
4.85 from 13 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb honeycomb tripe
  • 1-2 ounces chopped guanciale optional
  • 1/2 onion chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • pinch of crushed red peppers to taste
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste optional
  • 14 oz canned tomatoes
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • freshly ground parmesan to finish

Instructions

  • Place the tripe in a pot and cover with water. Season with salt and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Turn the heat down to a very low simmer and simmer for 1 to 2 hours, covered, until very tender. Add water as needed. Remove the tripe from the cooking liquid, reserving the cooking liquid. Let the tripe cool slightly before cutting into 1 x 2 inch strips.
    Trippa alla Romana or Roman style tripe in tomato sauce: super tender and rich honeycomb tripe slow cooked in a savory Roman style tomato sauce. #tripe #italianfood #romanfood #recipe
  • Meanwhile, while the tripe is cooking, make your tomato sauce: In a pot, crisp up the guanciale or pancetta until brown and crispy and the fat renders out. If not using, heat up 1-2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, until soft but not brown. Stir in the crushed red peppers and tomato paste. Add the tomatoes, the cut up tripe, and 1/2 cup of the tripe cooking liquid. Bring to a simmer for for 30 mins to 1 hour, partially covered. Taste, season, and finish generously with parm. Enjoy with toasted bread, if desired.
    Trippa alla Romana or Roman style tripe in tomato sauce: super tender and rich honeycomb tripe slow cooked in a savory Roman style tomato sauce. #tripe #italianfood #romanfood #recipe

16 Comments

  1. CJ says:

    Omg this is amazing. Weird that I never thought to cook with tripe! Only tripe I’ve eaten is in pho. Will definitely try this recipe. Thanks!

  2. Kyla says:

    Ahhhh! I am super into offals and tripe is one that I haven’t tried to make at home yet — this looks so doable! Thanks for giving one of the ugly bits some attention ❤️❤️

    1. Ed says:

      When I cook my tripe I do the same thing as you simmer for 1 hour but after that I trim off the excess fat. In the sauce I put diced onions and celery touch of red pepper salt and pepper to taste. Add the trip and let it simmer for 2 hours. It comes out Tender and delicious. Oh don’t forget the Italian Bread dunk Bread and enjoy. Bon appetit

  3. Anna Stagnetta says:

    My Mom made this dish growing up. Delicious. I’m planning on making tripe in Wednesday.

  4. Margaret Pancia says:

    I’ve been looking for a recipe for tripe that was like my mother in law’s for years. Unfortunately she passed. This recipe sounds like the perfect match! Thank you!

  5. Ricky Mathis says:

    5 stars
    Awesome and easy recipie. I’ve been looking for something to do with tripe besides menudo and this is it . Delicious , I didn’t have access to guanicol so I used a good smoked bacon and it was great .

  6. Frank Rubinetti says:

    5 stars
    I made tripe today. Besides the ingredients above I added potato’s celery, carrots and one long hot pepper with Italian herbs and spices. Reserve the water from boiled tripe and reserve it add it tothe gravy as needed. I also use a small can of tomato paste and sauté the onions and garlic in two TVs of bacon fat-.

  7. Ada says:

    5 stars
    This is a fantastic recipe gives it a different flavor cooked it today

  8. Kelly Simmons says:

    5 stars
    It’s funny I didn’t know that this dish is an Italian dish. My great grandmother made this many years ago.
    Just got back from the store and will be making it today in the insta pot. I’m going to pressure cook in for 20 minutes then add the onion and tomatoes and pressure cook it for another 20 minutes
    I clean and cut the tripe before I put it in the pot.
    Thank you for sharing

  9. Annett e says:

    5 stars
    I also add potatoes cubed to my recipe. That is how my Grandma made it.

  10. Susan Claire says:

    5 stars
    My mother used to make this-I never asked her for the recipe, just winged it, but your recipe is spot on. Delicious!

  11. Rosemary says:

    How would it be if you didn’t pre-cook before adding to the sauce.

    1. Stephanie says:

      hmm i haven’t tried that – simmering it on its own makes sure the tomato part isn’t too thick and you’re better able to cut up the tripe when it’s cooked in water. but i think it would work if you want to give it a try.

  12. Deborah says:

    I made this today EXCELLENT thank you for the recipie

  13. Cecelia Mandala Woodward says:

    Wonderful and easy receipe. I used different kind of tomatoes because that’s what I had at home. Thank you! I’m making it for my son for a Fathers Day gift. I think a gift would have been less expensive but what the heck.

  14. Dave says:

    5 stars
    Served over pasta. Wonderfully simple, and flexible, recipe. Used leftover tomato sauce as suggested, and some leftover wine. Results were superb. Thank you for this recipe.

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Thanks for reading as always!
-Steph & Mike