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Cookbook:Spaghetti alla Carbonara

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Spaghetti alla Carbonara
CategoryPasta recipes
Servings6
Time1 hour
DifficultyEasy

Cookbook | Recipes | Ingredients | Equipment | Techniques | Cookbook Disambiguation Pages | Recipes | Pasta | Cuisine of Italy

Spaghetti alla carbonara (literally "charcoal burners' spaghetti" in Italian) is an Italian pasta dish made with eggs, pecorino romano, guanciale and black pepper. It was created in the middle of the 20th century.[1] Like most recipes, the origins of the dish are obscure but there are many legends. As 'carbonara' literally means 'coal miner's wife', some believe that the dish was first made as a hearty meal for Italian coal miners. Others say that it was originally made over charcoal grills, or that it was made with squid ink, giving it the color of coal. It has even been suggested that it was created by, or as a tribute to, the "charcoalmen", a secret society prominent in the unification of Italy. Also, the name may be from a Roman restaurant named Carbonara.[2][3]

Recipes vary, though all agree that pecorino romano, eggs, cured fatty pork, and black pepper are the basics. The pork is fried in fat (olive oil or lard). Then, a mixture of eggs, cheese and olive oil is combined with the hot pasta, thereby cooking the eggs. All of the ingredients are then mixed together.[1][4][5] Guanciale is the most traditional cured pork cut for this recipe, but pancetta is a popular substitute.[6][7] In the US, it is often made with American bacon.

Cream is not common in traditional Italian recipes, but is common in carbonara recipes from other countries such as the United States,[8][9] France, the United Kingdom,[10] Australia,[11] and Russia (especially Moscow). Italian Chef Luigi Carnacina, however, used cream in his recipe.[12] Other Anglo/Franco variations on carbonara may include peas, broccoli or other vegetables added for colour.[9] Yet another American version includes mushrooms. Many of these preparations have more sauce than the Italian versions.[13] In all versions of the recipe, raw eggs are added to the sauce and cook with the heat of the pasta.

Ingredients

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Equipment

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  • Large pot
  • Large skillet
  • Bowl
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Fork

Procedure

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  1. Dice the guanciale or pancetta into 2.5 cm (1-inch) pieces.
  2. Bring a big pot of water to a boil and add salt to taste when it begins to simmer.
  3. Cook the spaghetti until it is al dente and drain it, reserving 1 cup of water.
  4. While spaghetti is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the pancetta and cook for about 10 minutes over a low flame until the pancetta has rendered most of its fat but is still chewy and barely browned.
  5. In a bowl, slowly whisk about ½ cup of the pasta water into the egg yolks. Add the grated cheese and mix thoroughly with a fork.
  6. Strain the spaghetti and transfer it immediately to the skillet with the pancetta. Toss it and turn off the heat.
  7. Add the egg and cheese mixture to the pasta while stirring in the remaining pasta water to help thin the sauce and create an emulsion.
  8. Add the pepper and toss all the ingredients to coat the pasta.

Notes, tips, and variations

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  • Ideally this dish is served with a red wine (Merlot, Chianti, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo), allowed to decant for several hours, and served at 65°F (18°C).

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ a b Alberini, Massimo (1984). Guida all'Italia gastronomica. Touring Club Italiano. p. 286. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  2. ↑ Mariani, Galina (2000). The Italian-American cookbook: a feast of food from a great American cooking tradition. Harvard Common. pp. 140–41. ISBN 9781558321663. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  3. ↑ Davidson, Alan (1999). Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford: Oxford UP. p. 740. ISBN 0-19-211579-0. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  4. ↑ Gossetti Della Salda, Anna (1965). Le ricette regionali italiane. Milan: Solares.
  5. ↑ Accademia Italiana della Cucina, Ricettario nazionale delle cucine regionali italiane
  6. ↑ Luigi Carnacina, Luigi Veronelli, La cucina rustica regionale (2. Italia Centrale), Rizzoli, 1977 republication of La Buona Vera Cucina Italiana, 1966.
  7. ↑ Vincenzo Buonassisi, Il Nuovo Codice della Pasta, Rizzoli, 1985.
  8. ↑ Herbst, Sharone Tyler (2007). "alla Carbonara". The New Food Lover's Companion, Fourth Edition. Barron's Educational Series. ISBN 0-7641-3577-5. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  9. ↑ a b Labensky, Sarah R (2003). On Cooking, Third Edition: Techniques from expert chefs. Pearson Education, Inc. ISBN 0-1304-5241-6. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  10. ↑ Wright, Jeni (2006, 2007). Italy's 500 Best-Ever Recipes. London: Hermes House, Anness Publishing. ISBN 0-681-46033-4. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)
  11. ↑ "Fettucine Carbonara". Better Homes and Gardens. Yahoo!7 Food.
  12. ↑ Carnacina, Luigi; Vincenzo Buonassisi (1975). Roma in Cucina. Milan: Giunti Martello. p. 91.
  13. ↑ Perry, Neil (2006). The Food I Love: Beautiful, Simple Food to Cook at Home. Simon and Schuster. p. 114. ISBN 9780743292450. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
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