Latest news with #EdwardLlewellyn
Daily Mail
07-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Fury over UK recipe for pasta sparks complaints to British embassy in Rome... because of two additional ingredients
A UK recipe for a popular Roman pasta dish has sparked fury in Italy after it allegedly botched the meal by adding two additional ingredients. The cacio e pepe recipe on Good Food, formerly owned by the BBC, branded the traditional pasta a 'store cupboard favourite' and advised readers they could whip it up using four simple ingredients - spaghetti, pepper, parmesan and butter. But Italians have hit back with fury. The real deal, they say, uses just three ingredients - tonnarelli pasta, black pepper, and pecorino Romano. Now, Fiepet Confesercenti, the leading trade association for Italian restauranteurs, is demanding an official correction, claiming the post misleads readers and disrespects Italian tradition. They have even raised the issue with the British Embassy in Rome in a bid to 'safeguard this iconic dish'. The blunder, which has been online for months, only recently caught the attention of furious food purists - despite a few sharp-eyed readers calling it out earlier. But a video accompanying the recipe showing a thick knob of butter melting into a pan seems to have been the final insult. Claudio Pica, head of the Rome branch of Fiepet Confesercenti, said the association was 'astonished' to see the recipe on such a popular and esteemed food site, adding that letters have been sent to Immediate Media, the site's owner, and the British ambassador to Rome, Edward Llewellyn. 'This iconic dish, traditionally from Rome and the Lazio region, has been a staple of Italian cuisine for years, so much so it has been replicated even beyond Italy's borders,' he said. 'We regret to contradict the historic and authoritative British media, but the original recipe for cacio e pepe excludes parmesan and butter. There are not four ingredients, but three: pasta, pepper and pecorino.' He admitted that while chefs might experiment from time to time, misrepresenting such a dish as the authentic original is a step too far. Unsurprisingly, Italian media has been gleefully lapping up the culinary scandal. Rome's Il Messaggero quipped: 'Paraphrasing the famous British anthem 'God save the king', Rome restaurateurs are now saying: 'God save the cacio e pepe'.' But this is not the first time foreign cooks have tampered with Italian classics and been burned. In 2021, the New York Times sparked a similar uproar with its 'smoky tomato carbonara' – a version of the traditional Roman dish that included tomatoes. Despite backlash from Coldiretti, Italy's powerful farming lobby, the recipe resurfaced again in 2023 – suggesting the US paper was unbothered by Italian disapproval. And Italians aren't shy about calling out 'crimes' against their cuisine, from chicken stirred into pasta to pineapple on pizza. The New York Times also once stirred outrage in the UKby describing the Yorkshire pudding – a Sunday roast staple – as a 'large, fluffy pancake' suitable for breakfast, lunch or dessert.
Sky News
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
King Charles arrives in Rome for Italy tour with Queen Camilla after health concerns
The King and Queen have arrived in Rome for their state visit to Italy, despite the recent concerns about the monarch's health. A red carpet was rolled out to welcome the royal couple at Rome's Giovan Battista Pastine international airport and after disembarking their plane, they were greeted by dignitaries, including the UK's ambassador to Italy, Edward Llewellyn. The King and Queen also shook hands with Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who is accompanying them on their four-day tour. The timing of Charles and Camilla's visit means they will spend their twentieth wedding anniversary in Italy. Buckingham Palace released two new pictures of the pair to mark the occasion shortly after their arrival in Rome. The photographs were taken in the grounds of Villa Wolkonsky, the official residence of the British ambassador to Italy. The trip comes just a week and a half after Buckingham Palace confirmed the King had been taken to hospital following side effects related to his ongoing cancer treatment. Last week, he did return to a full diary of official engagements, albeit slightly adjusted to give more time for rest ahead of the trip to Italy. The four-day visit, on behalf of the government, is an important step in continuing efforts to bolster relationships with EU countries following Brexit, but also significant in the context of Donald Trump 's presidency and the disruption that has caused. The King and Queen were also due to visit the Vatican City and meet Pope Francis, but that was postponed in recent weeks due to the Pope's ill health. The palace said the visit to Italy would "underscore the depth and breadth of the bilateral relationship: our defence relationship including in the current international context; our shared values, history and culture; our work together on the clean energy transition; and the links between our peoples and communities". Among the highlights to watch out for will be a speech by the King to both Houses of Parliament, the first British monarch to do so, along with a flypast by the UK's Red Arrows and Italy's equivalent, the Frecce Tricolori, reinforcing the importance of defence ties. On Wednesday, the King and Queen will also mark their 20th wedding anniversary, as the guests of honour at the traditional state banquet - some would say a far cry from the mixed reception their relationship received in the 1980s and 1990s. For the King, the trip comes at a time of more current family issues back home. Last week on Friday, the palace was forced to put out a statement regarding fresh documents revealing details of Prince Andrew's business dealings with the alleged Chinese spy Yang Tangbo. On Tuesday, the latest stage in Prince Harry 's case against the Home Office, regarding his security, will also get under way, an unwelcome distraction as his father concentrates on diplomatic matters overseas.
