This dish owes its origin to spaghetti alla carbonara indeed fettuccine alla papalina are prepared with ingredients that have a less aggressive flavor, such as prosciutto and parmesan.
And it is said that it was Cardinal Pacelli (better known as Pope Pius XII) who asked the restaurant “La cisterna” serving the Vatican meals to reinterpret (or rather revolutionize) carbonara and thus fettuccine alla papalina were born!!
As I said, this traditional dish is a close relative of carbonara but here we have onion (which does not even exist in thought in the more famous Lazio recipe) instead of guanciale there is prosciutto, even cooked, and we have the gentle addition of peas, but sometimes mushrooms too.
For example, a chef like Alessandro Borghese in his papalina puts speck, egg yolk, and cream, so…
I also recommend…
Spaghetti alla puttanesca;
Penne all’arrabbiata.
If you want to try making fresh pasta at home, follow this article where I talk about my experience at the cooking course of La pasta di Bologna.
FETTUCCINE ALLA PAPALINA
The kitchen of ASI
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients FETTUCCINE ALLA PAPALINA RECIPE
- 14 oz Egg Fettuccine (fresh or 8.8 oz dried)
- 5.6 oz Butter
- 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 7 oz peas (I used frozen)
- 3.5 oz prosciutto (cut into strips)
- 3 medium eggs
- 7 oz heavy cream
- to taste Parmesan (grated)
- to taste salt and pepper
Tools FETTUCCINE ALLA PAPALINA RECIPE
#adv
- High-sided Saucepan
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Bowl
FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE FETTUCCINE ALLA PAPALINA RECIPE
Sauté the
thinly sliced onion in the butter and once it’s golden, add the peas, letting them cook on low heat and adding a little water if the sauce dries out too much.Once the peas are cooked, incorporate the prosciutto cut into strips and let it flavor for a few minutes.
Now in a bowl beat the whole eggs with the liquid cream, salt, pepper, and a dusting of Parmesan (we went overboard, hehe).
Meanwhile, the fettuccine will have cooked in plenty of salted water: drain them al dente and pour them into a pan with the freshly made sauce.
Sauté them for 2/3 minutes to flavor the pasta well and add a little boiling pasta cooking water if needed.
All that remains is to plate and serve the delicious fettuccine alla papalina!
Enjoy your meal ^_^
Annalisa
Tips and Notes
This version is an alternative to the classic recipe and there’s another one where mushrooms replace peas….
Traditional Italian regional recipes like fettuccine alla papalina as a main course not only have the intrinsic value of the prepared food but also carry the storytelling and various versions from grandmothers and mothers who cooked for their families over the years, undoubtedly adding extra value!
Copyright © 2019 Annalisa Altini, All rights reserved
