Ingredienti
for 4
[ 500 g | 1 lb ] spaghetti
[ 300 g | 10 oz ] pancetta or guanciale or bacon
3 eggs
2 egg yolks
[ 100 ml | 3 fl oz ] heavy cream
parmigiano reggiano to taste
pecorino romano to taste
pepper
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Ricetta
Creamy and spicy. What more could you want?
Prepare the pasta, al dente.
Meanwhile cut the pancetta (or guanciale or bacon) into [ 1/2 cm | 1/4 in ] cubes and cook gently until slightly crispy.
Place the eggs in a bowl and beat with the cream and the cheeses.
Drain the pasta and combine with egg mixture and pancetta. The heat from the pasta should cook the egg slightly; the sauce should be slightly firm but still creamy. Serve. Sprinkle freshly ground pepper on top and add more cheese to taste.
Notes:
Carbone in italian means coal, thus the quantity of pepper on the dish is meant to resemble coal dust. There is much debate on how to prepare a correct pasta alla carbonara. The recipe above is how I like to make it. There are variations on every step.
The pancetta can be cooked just soft or very crispy. Regardless of how you like it, cook it gently at first so it sweats and the fat melts then turn up the heat to crisp.
Some people like to use just yolks but more commonly an egg per person is used.
The cream can be omitted.
Either cheese can be used.
Some add finely minced onion to the pancetta as it cooks.
The only sure ingredients are pasta, pancetta or guanciale, and egg. Everything else is up to you but make sure the end result is a creamy sauce. If it is too liquid try heating the pasta very briefly in the pan. If it is too firm and the eggs have cooked, it's too late, but add some more cream to give back moisture.
It is easier to overcook the egg when preparing large quantites of pasta (or over about 4 portions). Run cold water through the spaghetti while draining to cool them slightly (should still be hot). Add a cup of water to pasta pot bring it to a boil. Put pasta in heat proof bowl with the carbonara sauce then place onto the boiling water. Mix. This will allow you to control with greater precision the temperature of the pasta and sauce. Remove immediately when the sauce is a bit runnier than the desired consistency as it will continue to thicken after it is removed from the heat source.
Copyright © 2001-2009 Gianmarco Pinton
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