Spaghetti alla carbonara, the real italian recipe!
This emblematic dish of Italian cuisine delights taste buds around the world, so much so that they have their world day (yes yes !). At Petitchef, we are absolutely crazy about this reipe, which uses the typical carbonara ingredients: grated pecorino romano, guanciale, eggs and black pepper. In this recipe, we explain step by step how to prepare a creamy carbonara (without cream) at home! You will see that with this, carbo' will no longer have any secrets for you :-)
Ingredients
Preparation
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water.
Cut the guanciale: remove the tough skin and cut the slices into pieces the size of bacon bits.
Grill the guanciale bacon in a hot pan without adding any fat. The guanciale is ready when it becomes translucent and crunchy (be careful not to overcook it).
Break the whole egg into a bowl then add the egg yolk. Mix well with a whisk or fork.
Add a few spoons of guanciale fat, mix well and then add the pecorino romano (little by little) and freshly ground pepper. You should get a creamy consistency.
Set 3/4 of the guanciale aside in a bowl to add when serving.
Drain the pasta when al dente and transfer it to the pan with the remaining guanciale (and its fat). Mix everything well quickly.
Remove the pan from the heat and pour the egg, pepper and pecorino cream over the pasta. Mix everything well to obtain pasta well coated with sauce.
Time for plating:
Roll up some pasta and place it at the bottom of the plate. On top, place the crunchy guanciale. Sprinkle with pecorino romano and a little freshly ground black pepper.
It's ready!
Observations
How to store carbonara pasta?
Carbonara pasta should be eaten as soon as it is ready, we do not recommend storing it.
Why use guanciale for pasta carbonara?
Compared to pancetta, guanciale has a more intense flavor and releases more fat. This will help make the dish even creamier.
What shape of pasta should I use for carbonara?
The most used format is spaghetti, but in Roman taverns it is often prepared with rigatoni or mezze maniche.
How to prevent eggs from being overcooked?
It is essential to remove the pan from the heat before adding the egg cream and pecorino to avoid the omelette effect.
What can I use instead of pecorino romano?
You can also make carbonara with parmesan or make a mixture of pecorino romano and parmesan.
Can I use only egg yolks to make carbonara?
Yes, many versions of pasta carbonara use only egg yolks. If you want to try, we remind you to add an extra egg yolk for two people (2 people = 3 egg yolks). In this case we advise you to keep a little pasta cooking water because the cream could be much thicker and it will have to be diluted to obtain the desired creaminess.
Which eggs to use?
We recommend using very fresh eggs as they will barely be cooked thanks to the heat of the pasta.
