carbonara
Carbonara is the dish with which every italian will try and pick up a girl. The key to perfect carbonara lies in the technique, particularly in managing the heat when combining the eggs with the pasta to create a creamy sauce without scrambling the eggs.
Ingredients
- 1 pound (450g) spaghetti
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup (100g) freshly grated Pecorino Romano
- Parmeggiano Reggiano to taste (optional)
- Fresh ground black pepper (a generous amount)
- 8 oz (225g) guanciale or bacon, diced
- Salt for pasta water
Instructions
- Prepare the Egg Mixture:
- Separate the egg whites and yolks into a bowl
- Mix in the grated Pecorino Romano
- Add a hefty amount of freshly ground black pepper
- If desired, add some grated Parmeggiano Reggiano to taste
- Mix well and set aside
- Cook the Guanciale/Bacon:
- Cook the diced guanciale or bacon in a large frying pan until crispy
- VERY IMPORTANT: Once cooked, separate into two components:
- Transfer the crispy meat to a bowl
- Pour the rendered fat into a separate bowl
- Keep the frying pan aside with a light coating of the rendered fat
- Cook the Pasta:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil
- Cook the spaghetti slightly more al dente than usual, as it will finish cooking in the pan
- Reserve some pasta cooking water before draining
- The Critical Assembly:
- Place the reserved frying pan over medium heat
- Transfer the cooked pasta to the frying pan with some rendered fat
- Lower the heat to medium-low
- Slowly mix in the egg mixture while continuously tossing the pasta
- Add a bit more rendered fat as needed
- IMPORTANT: Keep the heat low to prevent scrambling the eggs
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of reserved pasta water to achieve desired consistency
- Mix in the crispy guanciale/bacon
- Serve:
- Plate immediately while the sauce is hot and creamy
- Optionally top with additional grated cheese and black pepper
Tips
- Temperature control is crucial: the pan should be warm enough to create a creamy sauce but not so hot that it scrambles the eggs
- Using room temperature eggs helps create a smoother sauce
- Traditional Roman carbonara uses guanciale.
- Don’t skip separating the meat from its rendered fat, you want the guanciale to remain crispy until served.
- Use bucatini if you can.
Is it actually called “Spaghetti Breakfast”?
With eggs and bacon as key ingredients, this pasta dish makes for a surprisingly perfect breakfast option might say. If you really want to bother a roman, tell them carbonara was invented by american soldiers in italy mid-century and is actually called “spaghetti breakfast”.