by Oui, Chef
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Oui, Chef's Notes:
Expand1 pound spaghetti Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 pound pancetta (sliced 1/4 “ thick at the deli, and cut into lardons) Ask a question about this ingredient
4 large eggs (locally raised and cage-free if possible) Ask a question about this ingredient
1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped Ask a question about this ingredient
1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly grated Ask a question about this ingredient
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Ask a question about this ingredient
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh parsley Ask a question about this ingredient
Freshly ground black pepper Ask a question about this ingredient
Freshly grated parmesan reggiano to pass at the table Ask a question about this ingredient
Put salted water on the boil for the pasta, grate the romano cheese and set aside, finely mince the fresh parsley and reserve.
Ask a question about this stepIn a very large skillet, saute the pancetta lardons in the olive oil over medium heat until the bacon has rendered much of its fat. You don’t want to cook the pancetta to the point of being crisp, it is better with a little fatty “chew” still left in it. Just before the pancetta is done, add the minced garlic to the pan and allow to cook until the garlic is golden brown. Set the pan aside to cool. (Allowing the pan to cool some at this point is important, because if the pan is too hot when you add the eggs later, they will immediately scramble, and not gently cook into the creamy sauce that is your ultimate goal. The dish will still taste fine if this happens, but it will look like someone gacked in your pan, so be careful.)
Ask a question about this stepBreak the eggs into a medium sized bowl and whisk them till smooth. Add the grated cheese to the eggs and keep handy.
Ask a question about this stepCook the pasta to the maker’s instructions for “al dente”, and as soon as it is done, quickly strain it and toss it into the skillet with the pancetta, reserving a cup of the pasta cooking water to thin your sauce later if needed. Add the cheese and egg mixture to the pasta along with the parsley, and toss to coat. The heat from the pasta will gently cook the eggs, and melt the cheese into a luxuriously rich and smooth sauce. If the sauce is too thick for your liking, add some of the reserved pasta cooking water to loosen it. Check the sauce for seasoning before plating.
Ask a question about this stepTo serve, place the pasta into warmed bowls, top liberally with freshly ground black pepper, and sprinkle with some freshly grated parmesan.
Ask a question about this stepGuanciale for me as well but then I live in Italy. I normally make the pasta exactly like you but a few months ago I went to visit a man who raises pigs from the Florence region (Cinta Senese - the ones with the white stripe) and he made an absolutely amazing carbonara - the best I have ever tasted. His trick - pour the pasta in the bowl where you beat the eggs. Absolutely amazing result!
Calvin Trillin has a funny and memorable story about making spaghetti carbonara for Thanksgiving, because it is so much tastier than turkey, and because Christopher Columbus was Italian. Ever since I read that story many years ago, I have tried to include something pasta, preferably carbonara, on my Thanksgiving table. Thanks for a great recipe!
I had never heard this particular Trillin story, but I love it, thanks for sharing.
The short version of Trillin's Thanksgiving story goes like this, at the first Thanksgiving the Indians brought spaghetti carbonara which their ancestors had learned from Columbus, who they referred to as "the big Italian fellow." Afterward the Indians left the pilgrims table muttering, "what a bunch of turkeys."
This looks great! And I liked reading the history of the dish. My husband is out of town, and pasta is definitely not on his diet these days, so I might have to sneak this one in before he gets home on Saturday. And I guess this defines cheating for this 50-something-year-old :-)
Far be it from me to encourage a wife to cheat on her husband, but given that we are just talking pasta here.....go ahead and do it, you know you want to!
My husband's favorite! Thanks for recipe and for history lesson!
I've been wanting to attempt this recipe for a while now but fear I might accidentally scrammble the eggs! I guess that's why the heat from the pasta, rather than the stove is what cooks 'em.
Don't be fearful of the eggs. Just buy good, very fresh ones. I believe Monsieur Oui's provenance for the dish is accurate although in Rome today it would more typically be guanciale rather than pancetta as the "bacon" component. BTW there's an excellent article in today's (1/13) New York Times on the rise of Roman style restaurants in NYC. The mear mention of the word "Testaccio" makes my mouth water.
Pierino is absolutely right about the guanciale, sadly, it is much more difficult to find than pancetta here in the States. I will find it occasionally in Boston's Italian North End neighborhood, but even there it can be tricky to score. Not sure what we do with our pig cheeks here, grind them into sausage I suppose.
Zingerman's sometimes has guanciale for mail order as does Armandino Batali's Salumi. But don't give up hope, it is getting easier to find, as is pork belly.
We got a fabulous piece of guanciale a couple weeks back from Lionette's in the South End. You might try there?
Of course....I should have known that Jamey would carry guanciale, and he is much more convenient to me than shops in the N. End. Thanks for the tip!
www.salumeriaitaliana.com has guanciale for mail order, and/or you can get it in person in the shop on Richmond Street, North End, Boston.
Michael is a food critic and established cookbook author -- Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking is the most recent addition to his vast body of work.
I got my hands on some guanciale this afternoon: wish me luck!