How to cook Carbonara ?

La Carbonara: How to cook Carbonara ? Roman Recipe

As promised, let’s start a category that “we like the most” the Roman Recipes, or rather, all the dishes of the Roman cuisine Tradition. Not being a “chef” (I would say no!) I will be able to tell you about the dishes, describing the flavors, listing the ingredients, and the procedure for doing it. But being a “good eater” I assure you that at the end of the article I will make you buy the products and then try to make the legendary “Carbonara”.

Our gastronomic journey starts from here, our “Carbonara” so revisited and so copied all over the world. It is that dish that as soon as you mention it you immediately feel peckish in the stomach.

Wandering on the internet I was amazed by the amount of information, historical notes, variety of ingredients, it seems that everybody wants to make Carbonara by themselves.

Starred Chefs and Roman Grandmothers ready to have their “must-say” on Carbonara.

Unfortunately, I did not have any Roman grandparents who handed down to me the mythical true recipe that is passed down from generation to generation, but I love to eat and I love Carbonara. So after years and years of training, I think I can do it pretty well.

La Carbonara: Need to Know

Did you know that there are three different hypotheses of the origins of Carbonara:

The first called “ally”, the Americans who arrived in Italy in 1944 also brought Bacon with them, which combined with the ingredients necessary for survival, eggs, and pasta (spaghetti). They create what will be the so-called Carbonara.

The second origin is the so-called “Apennine” recipe where the charcoal burners (Carbonaro in Roman dialect) who had the task of making the charcoal and therefore remained away from home for some time, brought with them the easily available ingredients and combined them to make the Carbonara.

The third is called “Neapolitan” because their cuisine very often uses the beaten egg, cheese, and pepper.

La Carbonara: Ingredients

Let’s start immediately on what No – don’t put in Carbonara:

Parmesan, Cream, Onion, Bechamel, Bacon

So Yes:

Pecorino, Pasta (Spaghetti or Rigatoni), Eggs (only the yolk), Pepper, Salt (only in the pasta)

The ingredients are:

• 2 egg yolks per person
• Guanciale – 1 oz each
• Pecorino Romano (I prefer pecorino romano with black skin)
• Pepper just enough
• Pasta Spaghetti or Rigatoni (8 oz. But also 16 oz.)

La Carbonara: procedure

Put a pot of water on the stove and bring it to boil, remember to add salt.

In the meantime, prepare the bacon, remove the rind and cut it first into slices and then into thick strips. Pour the pieces into a non-stick pan and brown over medium heat.

Be careful the pillow must not burn!

Pour the egg yolks into a bowl and add a part of the pecorino. Mix well and also add the black pepper. Also, add a tablespoon of the cooking water to dilute the mixture and stir.

Cook the pasta for the minutes indicated on the package, drain it, and put it back in the pot, keeping aside a little cooking water. Add the bacon and turn off the heat immediately. Pour in the mixture of eggs, pecorino, and pepper. Mix quickly and if needed add a little water to make everything creamier.

Serve immediately and if you wish, complete the dish with pecorino cheese and pepper.

Enjoy your meal!

And if you don’t want to dirty your stove, in the next article I will tell you the places near Al Civico 7 where you can eat it…. Carbonara Day will be celebrated on April 6 and is the right opportunity to book a stay in our historic home Al Civico 7 – www.alcivico7.it

Ciao and See you Soon Traveler

Veronica