Spaghetti alla Carbonara

History and info of Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Spaghetti alla Carbonara, which means charcoal burners' spaghetti in Italian, is an Italian pasta dish based on eggs, pecorino romano, guanciale and black pepper. It was created in the middle of the 20th century. Recipes vary, though all agree that pecorino romano, eggs, cured fatty pork and black pepper are basic. 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. Guanciale is the most traditional bacon for this recipe, but pancetta is a popular substitute. In the US, it is often made with American bacon. Cream is not common in Italian recipes, but is common in other countries like the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Australia and Russia. Italian Chef Luigi Carnacina used cream in his recipe. Other Anglo/Franco variations on carbonara may include peas, broccoli or other vegetables added for colour. Yet another American version includes mushrooms. Many of these preparations have more sauce than the Italian versions. In all versions of the recipe however, raw eggs are added to the sauce and cook with the heat of the pasta.

Ingredients

1 pound dry spaghetti

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 ounces pancetta or slab bacon, cubed or sliced into small strips

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 large eggs

1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving

Freshly ground black pepper

Prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking to ensure that the spaghetti will be hot and ready when the sauce is finished; it is very important that the pasta is hot when adding the egg mixture, so that the heat of the pasta cooks the raw eggs in the sauce. Next, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender yet firm (as they say in Italian "al dente.") Drain the pasta well, reserving 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water to use in the sauce if you wish. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium flame. Add the pancetta and saute for about 3 minutes, until the bacon is crisp and the fat is rendered. Toss the garlic into the fat and saute for less than 1 minute to soften. Finally, add the hot, drained spaghetti to the pan and toss for 2 minutes to coat the strands in the bacon fat. Beat the eggs and Parmesan together in a mixing bowl, stirring well to prevent lumps. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the egg/cheese mixture into the pasta, whisking quickly until the eggs thicken, but do not scramble. Thin out the sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water, until it reaches desired consistency. Season the carbonara with several turns of freshly ground black pepper and taste for salt.