Big news at Rome’s Mercato Centrale: Luca Mastracci’s pizza has arrived

by Antonio Scarselli 

As the saying goes: good things come in threes. And it’s the perfect way to introduce the latest development involving Rome’s Mercato Centrale and Luca Mastracci, one of Italy’s most talented pizza chefs. His pizzeria in Frosinone has been awarded “three slices” in our Pizzerie d’Italia guide.
“Yes, this was actually the third proposal I received from the management at Mercato Centrale,” says Mastracci. “But the timing wasn’t right before—or maybe I wasn’t ready yet.”
That might very well be the case. Looking at Mastracci’s professional journey, it’s clear he’s come a long way—at the right pace, without skipping steps.

In 2017 he opened his first pizzeria in Priverno, followed by Frosinone in 2018. Then came the first Velo location in Latina in 2023, and another in Aprilia last October. In between, he also opened Tintarella, a seasonal beachside venue on the Latina seafront, set to reopen for the coming summer.

Bringing the excellence of Agro Pontino

The pizza corner at Mercato Centrale is ready, and on 9 May, Luca Mastracci will kick things off.
“I’ll bring my pizza—the one from Frosinone,” he says, referring to a Neapolitan-inspired, contemporary version with a high crust. “And then, of course, I’ll bring my region, to which I’m deeply connected.”

From the very beginning, Mastracci has pursued two goals: perfecting his doughs and maturation techniques, and showcasing the flavours of the territory where he was born and raised. We’re talking about Agro Pontino—the great agricultural pantry of Lazio.
This region produces the delicacies that fill tables not just in Lazio, but all across Italy, especially during spring and summer. It’s the land of Sezze artichokes, chiacchietegli from Priverno (a green similar to friarielli), “favetta” strawberries from Terracina, kiwis, and a wealth of dairy products including buffalo mozzarella—and let’s not forget the meats.

Mastracci has always drawn generously from this rich and bountiful larder, becoming a natural ambassador of the region. Bringing it to a place like Rome’s Termini Station market is a kind of perfect full circle.

After all, Termini is Europe’s second-largest rail hub, with an average of 850 trains and over 480,000 travellers passing through daily.

Luca! Pizza e Fritti’s offering at the market

As one would expect in such a setting, the offering here is streamlined but well thought out.
“There will always be four classic pizzas and two seasonal ones, which will rotate regularly. My fried items won’t be missing either—classic supplì and pasta frittatine.”

But there are two exciting new features designed specifically for this new venture: the pizza a portafoglio (folded pizza) and the tasting menu.
“I wanted to offer something suitable for travellers—quick options for those catching a train, but also,” Mastracci explains, “something for those with more time who want to sit down and enjoy my pizza.”

And so, his tasting journey was born—not overly long, but enough to give anyone a full sense of his gastronomic philosophy. It includes four slices and ends with Falia, a pizza-bread from Priverno that Mastracci revived during the pandemic, and now proudly brings to Mercato Centrale.

“It’s a tribute to my land. Bringing Falia to such an international setting is a huge source of pride for me.”

The vegetables grown by Papa Alberto

And speaking of pride, territory, and roots—we can’t fail to mention Alberto Mastracci. He’s 80 years old and unstoppable. Luca’s father is a tireless man who has spent his life in the fields. And now, though he would be well within his rights to enjoy a well-earned retirement, he continues to work his six plots of land in the Priverno countryside.

“My father is my greatest inspiration. I owe my deep attachment to hard work and to my land entirely to him.”
Mr Alberto, who also stars alongside Luca in a lovely storytelling project on social media that we highly recommend watching, supplies some of the vegetables that appear on Luca’s pizzas.

Not all, of course—given the number of active locations, Luca and his team now produce an average of 1,000 pizzas a day. To this, another 200 are expected to be added daily at Mercato Centrale.