Pasta alla carbonara, the undisputed queen on Rome’s tables, has become one of the most loved and widespread recipes in the world. This simple and tasty dish consists of spaghetti or mezze maniche or rigatoni, egg yolks, Pecorino Romano, guanciale, and black pepper.
The pasta is cooked al dente and then mixed with the other ingredients to create a creamy and flavorful sauce.
Pasta alla Carbonara is thought to be an evolution of an ancient Lazio dish called “cacio e ova” (cheese and eggs) that charcoal burners used to eat while working in the woods.
In fact, according to one of the most credited theories, the name “carbonara” is linked to the presence of ground black pepper, which in the traditional recipe should darken the pasta to the point of making it look covered in coal dust
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 2 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
PASTA ALLA CARBONARA
- 7 oz semolina pasta (Mezze maniche, rigatoni, spaghetti)
- 4.5 oz guanciale
- 3 egg yolks (Large)
- to taste black pepper
- 3 oz Pecorino Romano
PASTA ALLA CARBONARA
Let’s prepare this delicious pasta alla carbonara together.
Put a pot of water on the stove, add a tablespoon of coarse salt and bring to a boil. Then add the pasta; you can choose between mezze maniche, rigatoni, or spaghetti.
Meanwhile, separate the egg yolks from the whites, leaving the whites aside for another recipe…for carbonara, only the yolks are needed.
Put the yolks in a bowl with 2/3 of the grated Pecorino Romano and a generous sprinkling of black pepper. Beat with a whisk and set aside.
Cut the guanciale into strips and brown it in a pan in its fat (WITHOUT adding oil) until it becomes crispy.
Drain the guanciale on paper towels. Add the fat released by the guanciale to the eggs with a little pasta cooking water and mix a bit
Drain the pasta al dente, pour it into the pan and let it absorb the flavor with the guanciale.
Turn off the heat and pour the yolk and Pecorino mixture over the pasta, continuing to stir to mix everything well and gently.
During the mixing phase, it’s crucial to avoid turning the yolks and pasta into scrambled eggs or forming lumps, so this step must be done off the heat.
Serve each portion by sprinkling with the remaining grated Pecorino and a final grinding of black pepper.
