ITALY
Pasta carbonara
30 minutes
4 persons
Average
Pasta carbonara is one of the most famous Italian pastas in the world. Yet, to the great frustration of Italians, this dish is rarely made correctly. Piero explained to us how to make the authentic pasta carbonara. And no, there is no cream involved. I repeat, no cream!
Piero told us that the name 'Carbonara' comes from the word 'carbonaro', which is what the coal burners were called in the past (carbone is coal). They went to work with some handy ingredients and ate this dish during their break. Due to the large amount of fat, protein and carbohydrates, this pasta helped them get through the day. Pasta alla carbonara means 'coal-burner-style pasta'. The recipe originally comes from the Italian region of Lazio, but is now on the menu throughout Italy.
For this recipe we use guanciale. This is Italian pork cheek, dried with salt and pepper. You can buy this in an Italian delicatessen or butcher. We bought it at the Italian supermarket 'Little Italy' in Rotterdam. If you don't have it around, you can still use pancetta, which is made from pork belly, but for the real classic dish you need guanciale. This bacon has a softer and stronger taste. In addition, Pecorino Romano is used and therefore not Parmigiano. Pecorino Romano is made from sheep's milk, which makes it a lot fattier and saltier.
Recipe tip: If you don't have eggs at home, you can still make a delicious pasta: Pasta alla Gricia. The preparation is exactly the same, but instead of eggs you use a little warm water.
Preparation
In this video Piero explains how to make the recipe. Or read it below.
Preparation
Boil the water. You don't need to add salt to the paste. The pecorino and guanciale is already salty enough.
Combine the egg yolks and whole eggs in a large bowl (the bowl should be large enough to accommodate the paste later).
For 4 people, use 2 whole eggs, 2 egg yolks. For 3 people 1 whole egg and 3 times egg yolk and for 2 people 1 whole egg and 2 times egg yolk
Finely grate the pecorino romano.
Cut the guanciale into slices about half a centimeter thick.
Step 1: Add the pasta to the boiling water and prepare according to the package
Step 2: Prepare the guanciale
Place the guanciale without oil or other additives in a large cold pan. (Note! Not in a hot pan, otherwise the guanciale will close immediately due to the heat and it will burn). Reduce the heat and let the guanciale slowly melt. If all goes well, the guanciale will become transparent in color. Fry the guanciale until the pieces are slightly crispy.
In the meantime, go to step 3.
Tip from Piero: for an extra good taste, add some love and a song.
Step 3: Prepare the Pecorino-egg mixture
Mix the majority of the pecorino romano with the eggs and stir until a smooth sauce is obtained. Save a little bit of cheese for garnish.
Step 4: Prepare the pasta alla carbonara
When the pasta is cooked 'al dente' (al dente), drain the pasta. Set aside a small cup of cooking liquid.
Once the guanciale is slightly crispy, stir a little of the fat into the pecorino-egg mixture.
Place the pan with guanciale over high heat and add your pasta to the pan. Stir it well. The paste will absorb any fat that has been released.
Add the pasta with guanciale to the pecorino-egg mixture and stir immediately . It is important to stir immediately so that the eggs do not solidify. If necessary, add some cooking liquid to make the pasta extra creamy.
Add a good dash of black pepper.
Don't worry, the egg is no longer completely raw due to the temperature of the pasta. So it is not dangerous to eat this recipe.
Step 5: Serve the pasta
Serve the pasta and sprinkle with the remaining pecorino romano and some pepper.