Tonnarelli alla Carbonara Recipe
It’s been exactly 70 years since carbonara officially appeared on Italian tables!
Carbonara is a dish whose origins are still debated today between Naples, Abruzzo, and America. Some believe it was born during World War II, when American soldiers tasted a pasta prepared with eggs, cheese, and bacon by the charcoal makers, hence the name “carbonara.” The bacon may have been imported from the United States, while the pasta may derive from the Neapolitan tradition of eating spaghetti with cheese and pepper as street food.
The true origin of carbonara remains a mystery, but in Rome, it has become an Italian symbol thanks to its versatility and simplicity. Today I propose you prepare the tonnarelli alla carbonara, a variant of Roman pasta made with durum wheat semolina and water, characterized by a square section.
The recipe is extremely easy to prepare, and the result is a dish that tastes genuine and traditional. Cook the tonnarelli al dente, then sauté them in a pan with crispy guanciale, eggs, black pepper, and pecorino romano. The secret is to quickly mix the eggs with the cheese to obtain a homogeneous cream that envelops the pasta, making it creamy and flavorful.
Tonnarelli alla carbonara is a dish that conquers everyone with its goodness and simplicity. Ideal for a quick but tasty dinner, this dish will make you feel like in Rome, among the streets of the historic center, savoring the authentic flavors of Italian tradition. Try preparing them at home and let yourself be conquered by the magic of the true Roman carbonara. Bon appétit!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
Tonnarelli, eggs, and cheese
- 2 1/2 cups durum wheat semolina
- 2/3 cup water (Warm)
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 eggs
- 4 slices guanciale (Not too thinly sliced)
- 1/2 cup pecorino romano
- 1 pepper (Freshly ground black)
- to taste salt
Tools
Cutting board, pasta pot, and pan for the sauce. You can find the recommended utensils Here
Steps
It takes little to obtain a tasty dish…
Place the semolina in a bowl and add the warm water; knead until you form a firm dough. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest for about thirty minutes
After the time has passed, roll it out on the pastry board with the rolling pin until you get a thickness of about 1/8 inch; Flour well and roll it to cut the tonnarelli; the ideal width would be about 1/16 inch; these are square-sectioned, otherwise with a small portion of dough make rolls, gradually thinner like spaghetti…In this case, you will have round-sectioned tonnarelli.
At this point, prepare the guanciale on a cutting board and cut into small strips…
In a bowl, combine the eggs, yolks, cheese, and black pepper, emulsify a little and…
Heat a pan and place the guanciale to brown, I didn’t add oil, (in the photo the portion is for two) with the same fat the pan greases itself…
Meanwhile, cook the tonnarelli in plenty of salted water and drain them slightly al dente, add them to the guanciale
And right after, add the eggs with cheese… If needed, add a few tablespoons of pasta cooking water. Stir well to thicken the egg a little and serve
Your tonnarelli alla carbonara are ready to be served!
Carbonara and Tonnarelli…
Like all pasta, they can be kept even until the next day, just put them in the fridge. The tonnarelli, well arranged on a tray, can be frozen to use with other sauces!
