I love pasta, who doesn't really? It's the one meal that no matter how it's prepared just feels like comfort food. I'm usually not too picky when it comes to eating pasta but one dish I've never really cared for has been Spaghetti all Carbonara. I had always found it way too rich, too creamy and kind of bland. Chef Mario Batali changed all this for me in one bite.
About a year ago, my friend Emily and I dinned at his Roman Italian, NYC restaurant, Lupa Osteria (one of my favortire places to eat in NYC). We decided to order several dishes so we could try as much on the menu as possible. One of the dishes she really wanted to try was the Carbonara. I did not expect to like it at all, but I practically devoured it. It was probably the most delicious pasta I think I've ever eaten. It was hearty, but not heavy and more velvety, rather than creamy. Thus began my search to figure out why this Carbonara was so different.
Spaghetti alla Carbonara at its core is pasta, eggs, cheese, bacon and pepper. What could be wrong with that? Turns out most of the Carbonara's I've been eating my whole life have had cream in them as well. A true Roman Carbonara apearantly DOES NOT have any cream in it. Who knew?!?! The velvety texture comes from the egg, the cheese and the addition of a little of the left over cooked pasta water, not cream.
The hunt then began for the perfect recipe and best cooking techniques that would do Chef Mario justice. I didn't have to look far, Chef Mario's recipe is actually super easy to make and tastes almost exactly the same as the one at my beloved Lupa restaurant. I'm pretty sure the only reason it's not exactly the same, is he has some sort of extra chef magic that I don't possess but it's pretty darn close.
I mostly follow Chef Mario's recipe but with a few exceptions. I like to use 3 eggs instead of the 4 he suggests. I just feel sometimes 4 eggs can taste really eggy if that makes sense. However, if the eggs are on the small side I might use a fourth. He also likes to divide the pasta into separate bowls and then crack the egg yolk into each individual pasta dish at the end, but I've found a different way that works better for me. I like to mix the whole egg into a bowl, along with the cheese and pepper and add together at the end before serving.
To start, combine the eggs, cheese and pepper into a bowl.
Mix together and set aside.
I find that there is enough fat leftover from the bacon that I don't add any oil either. I like to add finely, diced shallots to the bacon just before it's done cooking too. Unlike Mario's recipe, I like to drain out a few tablespoons of the fat and add a little bit more of the cooked pasta water.
An added tip: Guanciale is my first choice to cook with but it's hard to find and usually has to be purchased at a specialty butcher or Italian import store. My hubby works in the restaurant industry so he's able to special order it for me, but we usually have to order a ton!! Last time, we ended up with 8 pounds!!! I usually dice it up and freeze it in smaller ziplock bags. If you can't find Guanciale, Pancetta is the next best thing. Even though using Guanciale or Pancetta results in the best flavor in my opinion, I have totally used bacon in a pinch too. Just use what you can find.
Slice the Guancialle, Pancetta or Bacon into thin slivers about a 1/2 in thick.
Cook the Guancialle, Pancetta or Bacon till crispy.
Optional: Add 1 finely diced medium or large shallot during the last minute that the meat is cooking. You can substitute onions if needed.
Meat will be done when golden brown. Remove from heat while pasta finishes cooking.
Either drain or use a slotted spoon to add cooked pasta to the pan with the meat. If you drain the pasta make sure to reserve about a 1/2 cup of the cooked pasta water.
Toss the pasta with the meat and remaining fat, add a little of the cooked pasta water (a couple tablespoons or so)
The next step can be a little tricky. Take the combined eggs, cheese and pepper mixture and add this to the cooked Guanciale, Pancetta or Bacon, pasta and pasta water. You want to toss everything together but be careful to keep the eggs from scrambling. I find that if I toss everything very gently, and slowly at first, then more vigorously once it's mixed through I get the best results. Sometimes, I find that I need to add a little more cooked pasta water at then end too if it's looking a little dry. I was a little hesitant at first to see that the eggs are added raw at the end, but the heat from the pasta and cooked Guanciale, Pancetta or Bacon really does heat the eggs up enough to cook them through.
When trying to get a hang of the technique, I googled several videos and found I liked this one and this one from Jamie Oliver's Food Tube You Tube Channel and also this one when Chef Mario was on an older episode of Martha Stewart.
Toss together gently so you don't scramble the eggs.
The result is the most dreamy, not creamy Carbonara! Lol!
Adapted from Chef Mario Batali's full recipe here.
What you'll need:
8 ounces Guanciale, Pancetta, or good Bacon
1 pound Spaghetti (can use Angel hair or Buccatini too)
1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino-Romano
3 or 4 large Eggs
Freshly ground Black Pepper
One medium to large shallot, or small onion (this is optional)
Salt to Taste
It took me a few tries to perfect the recipe and technique, but I've got it down pretty good now. Sometimes, I'll add a little extra meat as my husband loves the crispy Guanciale. My family has begun to love and crave Carbonara as much as I do, requesting that I make it almost weekly! Good thing I have 8 pounds of Guanciale in my freezer! I hope you enjoy this post and find a new love for Spaghetti alla Carbonara just like me.
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