I had the pleasure of trying Risotto alla Carbonara just last Saturday at Ristorante la Taverna dell’Artista in Montelupone, in the heart of the Marche region. It was my first time and I was fascinated, creamy like only Pasta alla Carbonara can be, yet delicate. So I stopped Chef Antonino as he was moving between tables at the end of service and asked for the recipe. As a food lover and blogger, I couldn’t miss such an opportunity! If you’re in the area, book a table at the Taverna; the Chef with his wide range of risottos won’t disappoint you! You can taste up to three different risottos per table, a real treat considering that many restaurants don’t allow tasting so many dishes requiring long preparation times. We opted for two: the risotto alla carbonara of course, and a more robust one with Lacrima di Morro d’Alba with Ciauscolo meatballs and black truffle. What can I say, both were delicious! If you are a fan of risottos, know that at la Taverna dell’Artista they hold Masterclasses with Antonino who will teach you how to make a risotto. You can find the information on the Facebook fan page of Antonino Chef.
So this morning I am here to reveal the recipe for Risotto alla Carbonara for two. Of course, you can prepare it for more people by doubling the amounts below.
Why try this Risotto alla Carbonara? Because if you love risottos and you love pasta alla carbonara, you can’t help but trust. A few years ago on the blog, I shared my recipe for pasta alla carbonara with a live video recipe which you can find on the Facebook fan page of the blog Le Ricette di Bea!
I would like to remind you that a few days ago I started collecting your emails to join the newsletters. These will be emails that reach you at most once a week, with special content related to my kitchen. You can enter your email yourself in the side box to the right (when viewing the blog from a PC) where you find: Subscribe! You will then receive an email where you will be asked to confirm your subscription, from that moment on you will be part of the contact list! I await you!
Before moving on to the risotto alla carbonara recipe, I’d like to remind you that you can become a follower of the blog’s social profiles by choosing between the Facebook fan page as mentioned above, the Pinterest board of Le Ricette di Bea, the Instagram profile of Le Ricette di Bea. As an alternative to social media, you will find the Telegram channel where, by subscribing, you will receive a recipe every day! Oh, I almost forgot, if you prefer watching instead of reading my recipes, you can do so through the YouTube Channel of Le Ricette di Bea.
Do you like risottos, rice, and all the possible variations with this ingredient? Try these recipes with rice:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Portions: 2 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 833.36 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 84.09 (g) of which sugars 2.31 (g)
- Proteins 18.25 (g)
- Fat 46.20 (g) of which saturated 20.30 (g)of which unsaturated 20.55 (g)
- Fibers 1.68 (g)
- Sodium 863.59 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 110 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 7 oz Carnaroli rice (in my case rustic carnaroli)
- 1 1/4 cups vegetable broth (you can use either vegetable or meat)
- 2 eggs
- 2 slices guanciale (thinly sliced)
- 1 pinch salt
- Half onion (finely chopped)
- 1 pinch black pepper
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste cheese (in my case grated pecorino)
- 1 oz butter
Tools
- 1 Small pot
- 1 Pot
- 1 Pan
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Fork
- 1 Knife
- 1 Stovetop
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Scale
- 1 Lid
Steps
Let’s start by finely chopping half an onion, whether white or golden, into small pieces so that when it is well wilted it will no longer be noticeable. Once chopped, add it to a pot with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. While the onion is slowly stewing, bring the vegetable or meat broth almost to a boil. In my case, my grandmother always makes it; in her kitchen, the broth is always being prepared. Millions and millions of jars stored in the fridge or cooling on the countertop. However, beware that it is never fridge-cold, it should never be used cold, always hot. Having said that, pour the rice into the pot to toast the grains well for a few minutes.
Once the grains are toasted, it’s time to add two ladles of broth. Keep the flame at the same power for the entire cooking of the risotto. Never low and never high, a constant medium flame. For my convenience, I always set a timer for 15 minutes when I start preparing a risotto. After this time, I start tasting the consistency, if I need to add salt, I also adjust for the preparation of any other ingredients. In this case, the eggs should be prepared in advance, before the final creaming of the risotto.
Then proceed with the preparation of the risotto as if it were a classic rice, adding ladle by ladle, only when the previous ones are well absorbed. In the meantime, take a bowl, break an entire egg inside while using only the yolk of the other. Keep the egg white aside, which you can possibly use to make perfect pancakes and soft ones for the following day’s breakfast.
Then beat the eggs with a fork incorporating salt and pepper, I didn’t add cheese, I was afraid it would create lumps once the eggs were poured into the rice. Maybe next time I will try this variation too. Once a nice cream has been created, set the bowl aside. How is the risotto doing? Mine was a few minutes away, so I heated a pan well and crisped up the two slices of guanciale that I had cut rather thinly. We are then ready for the final creaming.
Take a knob of butter directly from the fridge, this step is also very important. The butter must never be at room temperature but always cold. Add it to the risotto alla carbonara, pour in the egg cream and give two good stirs with a spatula or wooden spoon, gently mind you. Cover the pot with the lid and let it rest for a few minutes. You must not be in a hurry, haste is a bad advisor and never does things well.
Then take the plates and serve, sprinkle with a nice handful of pecorino, in my case romano and well salted. All that’s left is to remind you that I look forward to having you with other easy-to-prepare and super tasty recipes! Note in your calendar, iPhone, tablet, or PC notepad the address of my blog Le Ricette di Bea so as not to forget about me and my recipes! I wish you all a good appetite!
Try this creamy and easy-to-make carbonara rice recipe for yourself, few but essential steps for the final success of this dish!
Tips for a good Risotto alla Carbonara:
As indicated during the writing of the various steps of the risotto alla carbonara recipe, do not forget:
– butter cold from the fridge
– vegetable broth always hot
– wilt the onion well, it should not be noticeable when tasting the risotto
– work the eggs well with the fork, incorporating air to create a nice cream
