La Carbonara Pasta

 

Alba’s Spaghetti Carbonara Traditional Recipe -Spaghetti Carbonara is one of the most famous Pasta Recipes of Roman Cuisine, made only with 6 simple ingredients: spaghetti, guanciale (or Pancetta), freshly cracked black pepper, freshly grated Pecorino Romano, beaten yolks, and pasta water. All the ingredients must be of high quality to achieve a successful recipe. No garlic, no onions, no herbs, and no olive oil please!

The history of carbonara is relatively recent, and its origins are controversial, also because there is no written trace of it, or text of Italian or Roman cuisine that speaks of it. According to a first theory, Carbonara was born in 1944, during the Second World War, in a trattoria in Vicolo della Scrofa in Rome. According to another theory, the Carbonara would be the evolution of an ancient dish: "Cacio e Ova", that is, cheese and eggs, a dish prepared by the Carbonari when they went to the woods to make coal.

There are a few simple techniques to make a perfect Carbonara that I will point out.

 

La Carbonara

1 pound spaghetti

6 ounces of diced guanciale or diced pancetta

4 medium egg yolks, lightly beaten

1 ¼ cups freshly grated Pecorino Romano

Freshly cracked black pepper

Pasta: In a large pan boil water with 2 tablespoons of salt. When the water comes to a full boil, add the spaghetti. Stir for about 30 seconds so the pasta doesn’t stick. Cook until the pasta is al dente.  Remember before straining to save 1 ½ cups pasta water.

Eggs and cheese: While the pasta is cooking, place the yolks in a bowl and lightly beaten the yolks. Add the fresh grated cheese and mix together to form a paste.  Then scoop one ladle full of cooked pasta water into this bowl and quickly mix.  This is called tempering; it will prevent the egg yolks when added to the pasta to curdle.

Finishing the Sauce:

o   Put the guanciale or pancetta in a large skillet and cook until barely golden. Cook on medium heat.

o   Reserve your pasta water before straining. When the pasta is ready, transfer the pasta to the skillet with the guanciale or pancetta. Continue to cook on medium heat, Fold and mix well until the pasta is well coated.

o   Remove the skillet off the heat: Add the cheese and yolk mixture and quickly mix and fold to coat the entire pasta.  Add a ½ ladle of pasta water and mix again. If needed add ½ ladle of pasta water and mix and fold the pasta until just barely creamy. Lastly add freshly cracked black pepper.

o   Serve warm with more freshly cracked black pepper and a sprinkle of Pecorino grated cheese. This pasta is meant to be eaten right away. Enjoy it!