Pasta Carbonara recipe
Carbonara recipe:learn the secret to making the most sought after Italian recipe
Carbonara is one of Italy’s most beloved pasta recipe, the ultimate comfort food. This recipe is known for its creamy texture and rich flavors. Many people still find it hard to recreate this simple dish at home, however if you follow my recipe, you’ll get an amazing result.
This Roman classic is simple yet requires attention to detail. In oder to achieve the perfect consistency and taste you need to be careful about the eggs and cheese.
History of Carbonara recipe
The origins of carbonara are somewhat still a mystery. However the most widely accepted theory is that it was created in the mid-20th century in Rome.
For some people, the recipe is the ‘cacio e ova’ the carbonai (charcoal workers), prepared in L’Aquila in 1944 for the American troops. Carbonai in dialect is Carbonari, hence the name ‘alla Carbonara’.
Another theory suggests that after the war a cook somewhere in Italy (some say Naples, some say Ravenna or Rome) prepared a dinner for the American soldiers. Since food was scarce, he used the powdered egg yolk and the bacon from the soldiers’ rations, added some cream and the iconic dish was born.
The first official written recipe for Carbonara was published in 1954, and actually it was made also with garlic and gruyere.
Regardless of its precise history, carbonara has become a staple of Roman and Italian gastronomy.
Nowadays cream, or ingredients other than eggs and pecorino are considered a real sacrilege for the purists. In my opinion the simplest the dish the better. Adding ingredients or changing them may be the only way if you cannot get hold of guanciale or pecorino romano. However cream or pancetta totally change the flavor of the dish. If you want a taste of the original recipe, keep it simple.
Tips for the Perfect Carbonara
Making the perfect carbonara is easier than it may seem. There are a few things you may want to pay the utmost attention to:
- Use guanciale for authenticity: pancetta is a common substitute but alters the traditional flavor. Italian grocery shops usually sell this cured meat, however you can also try in now of Eataly’s shop. Usually it is very easy to find such local products there. Remember that a little goes a long way. You won’t need a ton of guanciale, so it may be worth the high price every once in a while to treat you with the real deal.
- Avoid cream: the creaminess comes from the emulsification of the egg mixture with the pecorino and the pasta, not from adding cream. As I said, cream reduces the flavor of both eggs and guanciale, changing the dish significantly.
- Avoid scrambled eggs: to achieve the perfect creaminess you only need to mix well the finely grated cheese with the egg. This mix then should never ever be in contact with the high heat. You only add this mixture when the heat has been turned off. The egg should cook with the remaining heat of the pasta. When you also add some of the cooking water (rich in starch) it adds to the final creaminess.
Healthy tips: reduce fat content
Guanciale can be a bit fatty, so you might want to reduce that fat. When cooking the guanciale, the fat melts in the pan and make the small slices crunchy and delicious. Actually there is non need for all the fat to make the recipe taste great. What you can do is actually remove half of the fat from the pan. What will make the sauce creamy is the water from the pasta together with the eggs and cheese, you do not need the extra fat.
If you are using a very high quality guanciale made from sustainable farming, however you may be pleased to know that that fat will only contain a minimum amount of saturated fats. Since I usually buy only this kind of guanciale, I do not like to throw it away. So, what can you do with that? Actually you can store the fat into an airtight container and keep it in the fridge. When you prepare soups, or stews you can use some of that fat to skyrocket the flavor of whatever you are cooking. You can add it in tomato sauces, use it to stir fry vegetables or any other recipe that calls for some fat. As usual, when the quality is high, a little always go a log way! Just one teaspoon of this fat will totally change the taste of your dish. I usually add it to my pasta e fagioli recipe.
Guanciale and eggs should always come from sustainable sources. Industrial eggs are filled with antibiotics and so it the meat. The higher the quality of the ingredients, the healthier the dish will be.
Pasta Carbonara recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g spaghetti or mezze maniche
- 150 g guanciale (cured pork cheek)
- 3 large eggs preferably pasture raised
- 100 g Pecorino Romano cheese finely grated
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Salt for boiling water
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut the guanciale into fine strips.
- Heat a large skillet and cook the guanciale on medium low heat until crispy and slightly golden brown. Turn off the stove and set aside, keeping the rendered fat in the pan. If too much, remove some and put it into a small jar or container.
- Cook the past until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, grated Pecorino Romano, and a some black pepper (if the guanciale is very peppery skip it).
- When the pasta is almost ready, re-heat the guanciale on low for a couple of minutes.
- Turn off the heat and add the drained pasta to the pan with the guanciale and toss to coat in the rendered fat.
- Pour in the egg mixture, stirring quickly to create a creamy sauce. If it's too dry, add some of the reserved pasta water a little at a time to achieve the desired consistency.
- Sprinkle with some more pecorino if you like or with some freshly grated pepper.
- Serve: Plate the pasta immediately, topping with extra Pecorino Romano and black pepper to taste.
Other classic Italian pasta recipes you may want to try:
