After returning back from Singapore, Cart and I had dinner together with his friends at a place called the Antica Schiacciata Romana. It was said to be be an authentic Roman styled food. It seemed to be very popular, judging by the crowds that they had that night. But feeling jetlagged, I didn’t have much appetite to eat there.
However, some weeks later, when our biological clocks were more in sync, Cart went there again and we enjoyed our food very much. And very recently, we brought our friend, Eu Chai and his lovely mother here as they love eating regional local food.
And this was the speciality of the restaurant. The schiacciata.
At one glance it looks like a pizza. But its not quite. Because in Italian, schiacciare means to squash so these pizzas as actually squashed instead of being shaped in its traditional round shapes.
Squashed pizza? So its Pizza Penyet! Oh my gosh, even Italians have an inkling of Ayam Penyet! One of my favourite food!
In any case, the schiacciata that I was having at our second visit was a Napolitana if I’m not wrong – tomato based with cheese and some anchovies baked together on top.
As you could see, the schiacciata is thicker compared to a Roman styled pizza. My favourite style of pizza is Roman styled precisely because of how thin it is, you don’t feel like you’re eating bread.
However, it was very tasty chewing through my food with the different flavours in my mouth. The dough, being allowed to rest for 48 hours turned out very soft, thus it was a delight to eat it.
Initially I was feeling a little disappointed that there were so few anchovies in my food, but eating it makes me realise why there were so few. It was super salty! Putting more would be an overkill.
I will now trust the chef more.
Cart had a pizza with mushrooms and gorgonzola cheese.
I’m not that fond of gorzonzola mainly because of the strong smell and taste but Cart loves it. I could eat a little, but for sure, I’d have that jelak feeling if I had more. Suffice to say that the man doesn’t get a kiss afterwards though.
And then recently, Cart had the schiacciata with artichokes and gorgonzola cheese again.
That man really does love his gorgonzola! Personally I find the smell stronger than garlics, so it should be two times more effective in warding off vampires
While I had the one with zucchini blossoms and bottarga.
I asked Eu Chai, what a bottarga was and the first thing he said was, “Its something like Belaccan” and I was stunned. As much as I love Sambal Belaccan, I don’t think I’d want it on my schiacciata!
Later on the waiter explained that a bottarga was actually fish eggs, kind of like caviar only dried. If you could see the brown rectangular flakes in the picture up there, those are the bottarga.
And as dubious as how it looked like, it was actually very tasty. I loved it. The delicate taste of the zucchini blossoms mixed with the shapness of the bottarga went very well together.
In any case, despite of how small the schiacciata was, it was actually very filling. Indeed, it was easy for me to feel full halfway through eating my schiacciata. But in spite of that, I always have room for dessert.
This is my nutella mousse with pine nuts. It might not look much but its to die for! The soft and creamy nutella is so orgasmically delightful that I feel so happy after eating this.
Cart can keep his Crema Catalana
Aku tak heran! 
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*Sluuurrrrppp*
Oh sorry, I need tissues to wipe my drool…
Oh my! They look sooo delicious! I go weak in the knees looking at the Schiacciata just as if I was looking at Simon Baker.
Rinaaa…. Why you torture me like this? Uwaaa!!!
Simon Baker? Who’s that? *googles*
Oooh laa laa! Hensemnye! Now if he was serving the schiacciata, it will be double the goodness :-D
Come to Rome lah >:-D
The schiacciata looks very tasty!! seems a bit like the napoletana style of pizza..thick but soft. I agree with you Marina.. we always have room for desserts! :p
Hi Rinaz!
You are one of my favourite blogger i must say.
By the way, those pictures are making me hungry haha!
Next time leave some for me :P
Sally
Ooooh! Then you’d definitely LOVE the nutella mousse! Its really to die for! Its not as thick as it looks like in the picture, its actually light but the wonderful hazelnutty goodness is there along the pine nuts.
Urrrr … *dreams*
Knox
How can I leave anything for you when its all in my tummy? Hehehe … come to Rome and get it lah :-P
And thank you for the comment :-)
I love anything chocolate and most italian desserts go fine with me *slurpp*
thick crust, like, dare i say, singapore’s pizza hut pizza? and from the pics, generous with the base and toppings.
Its not that thick, Pizza hut pizza is more like bread to me. Moreover, the ingredients are different and the time of resting isn’t the same so the taste is not the same :-P
That looks so good! We have a couple of authentic Italian restaurants here and my god, the first time I went there my impression of Pizza Hut instantly went down the drain lol.
wah interesting.. pizza penyet. a business idea there :P
i would love to try it someday. someday, i’ll go back to rome. I threw a coin in Trevi and everything :P
Pizza and nutella based dessert. I didn’t have breakfast today so this was torture. :(
When hubs n I were in Rome, we walked around the narrow streets n came upon the first pizza counter. I chose tuna with celery n hubs had artichoke n cheese. They were good. What surprised us was the way they cut out the rectangular pieces and folded it like a sandwich !! We didnt see any round pizza’s while lodging near the Roma Termini. Another counter had a selection of fried foods n they were too oily. It made us unwell. We wanted an experience in italian food but it didnt go well. We switched quickly back to chinese food.
I see from ur pix that it has improved over time. They looked yum ! I also find cheese very jelak, esp when they r molten in quiche or pizza’s n yet they r the flavour enhancers.
Personally I like pizza’s with a crispy paper-thin pastry. I started out that way when I was a teenager in SG. What I dont understand abt my home made pizza is that the mozarella doesnt melt evenly n it’s not savoury ! Young Gouda cheese hv a better effect, so I’m sticking to that one. I was trying to recreate the yums I had in SG n I was told that the white mass is mozarella. Any tips from Cart abt the right cheese to use ?
Where can I get some schiacciata in SG!