i. Biography
Nabil Hadj Hassen is head chef of Baccano in Rome, a Tunisian-born cook whose path began in Tunisia, crossed into Italy at 17, and moved through Roscioli kitchens before arriving at his current stove. The movement of that life is central to the cooking: migration first, training next, then the discipline of Rome’s pasta culture and the pull of Italian seafood.
Beginnings
Born in Tunisia, Hadj Hassen arrived in Italy at age 17 and went on to train with some of the country’s top chefs. That crossing gave his career its first momentum: a young Tunisian cook entering Italian kitchens, learning inside the country that would become his adopted professional home. His own words turn that personal movement into a wider view of kitchen life: "Nowadays, there are immigrants all over the world who work as cooks in their adopted countries. In Germany, Italy, and France, the cultures simply combine with each other, just like spices." The line suits a chef whose biography moves between places without treating them as separate compartments. Tunisia is the origin; Italy is where the work took shape; Rome is where the public arc became legible through named kitchens and specific dishes.
The Rise
In Rome, the rise ran through two Roscioli kitchens. At Salumeria Roscioli, Hadj Hassen worked as chef until 2021, part of a career chapter tied to one of the city’s most specific culinary names. He also served as head chef at Antico Forno Roscioli, a role that put him in charge of a kitchen before his current post. Carbonara became one of his specialties, and the dish follows him into the present rather than sitting as a past credential. It is a practical kind of signature: a Roman pasta with little room for disguise, where every decision is visible because the ingredient list is so spare. That directness also marks the way his career reads on the page. There is no sprawling map of anonymous stops, only a line from arrival and training to Roman kitchens, then onward to the head-chef role that now defines him.
Today
At Baccano in Rome, Hadj Hassen leads the kitchen as head chef. His cooking there is tied to carbonara and Italian seafood, two anchors that keep the menu connected to place while leaving room for his own hand. The carbonara is made old-school with just Pecorino and freshly ground Sarawak black pepper from Malaysia. The choice of pepper is specific, but the structure is restrained: cheese, heat, pasta, and the pressure of a classic that depends on control rather than excess. Another signature is pasta with anchovies and butter, described as a creamy Italian classic made as a rich, flavorful tribute to tradition with his personal touch. Between that dish, the seafood work, and the carbonara, the kitchen presents a chef whose route to Rome did not erase his origin; it sharpened the way he cooks inside Italy.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Nabil
What roles has Nabil Hadj Hassen held?
He has been chef at Salumeria Roscioli until 2021, head chef at Antico Forno Roscioli, and head chef at Baccano in Rome.
What is Nabil Hadj Hassen doing now?
He leads the kitchen at Baccano in Rome, where his work includes carbonara and Italian seafood.
Where else has Nabil Hadj Hassen worked?
He has worked at Salumeria Roscioli and Antico Forno Roscioli, both in Rome.
