She opened Mater in Fiano Romano, near Rome, where she offers gourmet pizzas made with unique doughs and high-quality local ingredients. Her pizzeria has been awarded 3 Spicchi by Gambero Rosso, and Amalia Costantini is known for her focus on organic flours and ancient grains, and for creating iconic pizzas that combine elements of the tradition and the unconventional.
Class of '97, mother of three and now grandmother, Amalia Costantini was not born a pizza maker, but she welcomed and gradually nurtured a passion for dough that would take her far. A single mother at the age of 16, she was forced to work in a textile company, an opportunity that allowed her to express her creative flair, but not her passion. In her memories, in fact, there are her two grandmothers and the afternoons spent cooking with them.
Then, unexpectedly, she met Fabio (who would become her partner in life and work) and the sourdough starter during a TuChef cooking class he gave her at Anna Maria Palma's in Rome. This is how Amalia fell in love with flours and leavening and gave birth to the "Neapolitan revisited" pizza in her own way (but we are really talking about a pizza unique in style and personality). Note of merit, higher hydration, baking at lower temperatures (330°), selection of organic flours and ancient grains (grown without plowing to protect the environment and biodiversity), characterized by little gluten but lots of crunchiness, even in the bursting alveolus.
In 2015, the tenacious pizzaiola opened Mater in Fiano Romano, a small town in Lazio outside Rome, where she works with her family, with her daughter Martina in charge of an immaculate space. But it is the aftermath of the 2020 health emergency that gives her a new challenge: from a full-service pizzeria to an address dedicated exclusively to gourmet pizzas served with an ambitious tasting formula, in the wake of tasting menus. Initially conceived as a solution to the social distancing and limited number of place settings in the prevention phase, the concept soon became a winning opportunity for the restaurant.
Each disc of dough is a blank canvas on which to artistically arrange compositions of ingredients and, presented in 8 slices, becomes a symbol of sharing for those who want to embark on a true "journey" of pizza tasting, made precious by the highest quality raw materials. To complete the family picture, in 2023 Amalia's youngest son, Alessandro, a graduate of the prestigious Niko Romito Culinary Academy, joins her in the creation and production of new toppings that are aesthetically striking, beyond the taste and harmony of the whole that have always distinguished the product.
Over the years, Amalia has won numerous awards, consolidating its position among the best national and international pizza makers. In fact, her pizza has been awarded the 3 Spicchi by Gambero Rosso and chosen as the Best of Lazio in 2023 by "La Pecora Nera Editore". It has also found a place in all the major industry guides, from 50 Top Pizza to Identità Golose.
Menu staples include the Sauris with truffle, smoked Sauris guanciale and caramelized cherry tomatoes, and the Martina, dedicated to her daughter, with capocollo di Martina Franca Romanelli, burrata di Andria and taggiasche olives. But Amalia continues to explore the nuances and expressive potential of vegetables. This is confirmed, for example, by the perfect alchemy of Ortaggi Vostra.
