Cookbook:Spaghetti alla Carbonara
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| Spaghetti alla Carbonara | |
|---|---|
| 560 Cal | |
| Category: | Pasta recipes |
| Servings: | 6 |
| Time: | 30 minutes |
| Difficulty: |  |
Spaghetti alla Carbonara literally means "Spaghetti in the Manner of the Charcoal Maker". Some believe that the dish was once popular with Charcoal makers who lived on the Mountains near Rome because the ingredients were easily portable and cooking was fairly uncomplicated. Others believe the dish derives its name from all the freshly ground pepper that is added to the spaghetti at the last minute. Actually, the origin of the dish is quite recent, since it was unknown before Second World War. The dish uses pancetta or guanciale, which are similar to bacon. If you want to stay true to the Roman heritage of the dish, you must use grated Pecorino Romano cheese, but it can be substituted by Parmesan. A mix of the two cheeses is also common.
Most Anglo-American recipes add cream to the dish.[1][2] This is not how the original Roman/Italian dish is made, however.[3]
[edit] Ingredients
- spaghetti: 1 lb (450g)
- pancetta: ½ lb (225g)
- egg yolks: 5
- Pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated: 1½ cups (360ml)
- olive oil, extra-virgin: 3-4 tablespoons
- pepper, freshly ground: ½ tablespoon
- salt
[edit] Utensils
- large pot
- large skillet
- bowl
- measuring cups and spoons
- fork
[edit] Preparation
- Dice the pancetta into small pieces (1 inch [2.5cm] will do).
- The Pot: Bring a big pot of water to a boil and add salt when it begins to simmer.
- The Pot: Cook the spaghetti until it is al dente and drain it, reserving ½ cup of water.
- The Skillet: 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.
- The Bowl: In a bowl, slowly whisk about ½ cup of the pasta water into the egg yolks, using a fork. Add the Parmesan cheese and pepper. Mix with a fork.
- The Skillet: Transfer the spaghetti immediately to the skillet with the pancetta. Toss it and turn off the heat. Add the egg mixture to the skillet with the pasta and toss all the ingredients to coat the pasta. Taste the pasta and add salt and black pepper, if necessary.
[edit] Beverages
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).
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ↑ Herbst, Sharon Tyler. Food Lover's Companion, Third Edition: Comprehensive Definitions of nearly 6000 food, drink, and culinary terms. ©2001 Barron's Educational Series. Hauppauge, New York. Barron's website
- ↑ Labensky, Sarah R. & Alan M. House. On Cooking, Third Edition: Techniques from expert chefs. ©2003, Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
- ↑ Gossetti Della Salda, Anna. Le Ricette regionali Italiane. ©1965 Solares, Milan.
