A wonderful Italian recipe from Rome, Pasta alla Carbonara takes its name from the old days of the coal miners (carbone=coal), but it was actually created only around the mid 20th century. It's a rich type of comfort food, made with eggs, guanciale (the meat from the cheek of the pork, cured like pancetta), Pecorino Romano cheese and black pepper. Many variations can be found around Italy, like in the North, where heavy cream is added to the sauce and Parmigiano substitutes the Romano. However, here is my own recipe, the way we make it in Rome.
Bring to the boil the water for the pasta (penne, spaghetti or fettuccine), add some salt, then the pasta and let this cook according to the instructions on the package.
Meanwhile, beat the eggs and mix with the grated cheese, a pinch of salt and a generous amount of cracked black pepper.Cut the guanciale or pancetta in small pieces and fry it in a pan with the oil until golden.
Drain the pasta and transfer it into a large serving bowl. Pour the egg mix over right away, and toss to combine it with the pasta. The heat will cook the egg. Add the guanciale and toss again. Serve immediately.
Menu for tonight,great one Maria,just read it out here,and they all want it for dinner..thank you for sharing this with us.
RispondiElimina@Motifs ...well ... it's a great dish..typically Roman...and after eating that you will not be hungry anymore.!
RispondiEliminaSounds yummy as mama used to make.
RispondiEliminammmm Cheers A
I'm cooking that tomorrow Maria... seems quite easy to make. I can only cook ready in a can spaghetti sauce btw... pour it in a sauce pan, let it simmer to make it hot while the spaghetti is happily cooking in the other pot... It's a quick to make recipe so once everything is ready, I serve them beautifully on my big plate, garnish it and voila! My irresistible, mouth-watering craving! Their delicious in all its goodness! But don't worry, I'm going to give yours a try for sure, since it's a specialty from the land of spaghetti itself.... Oh la lah... I'm hungry...
RispondiElimina@alejandro guzman ...definitely yes ALE..this is a typical Roman dish that you can cook at home...very simple to do and yummy....it's a rich type of comfort food...You can cook it to your friends and tell them it's Roman recipe!.
RispondiElimina@Jorie .....we like to cook SPAGHETTI when we are a group of friends watching a tv movie or Italian football games...It's a quick to make recipe..it's a rich type of comfort food, made with eggs, guanciale (the meat from the cheek of the pork, cured like pancetta), Pecorino Romano cheese and black pepper...I recommend you not to add Parmesan but Pecorino Romano...you garnish them with this cheese and Voilà..it's a deliciuos dish!♥
RispondiEliminaMaria, this sounds so tasty. I wonder if it would work just as well with rice based spaghetti? We have to use the rice brands because of Michaela now.
RispondiElimina@Mary ...well MARY ...according to MICHAELA's diet I suggest you to try out this recipe. It's excellent with rice. It is called "Risotto with Porcini Mushrooms"....I may assure you is wonderful! By the way I also have other ways of cooking rice.Just ask me!
RispondiEliminaMushroom risotto is wonderful, especially in the fall when the mushrooms are freshly dried. If you cannot find porcini, use wild mushrooms. To serve 4.
Ingredients:
• A one-ounce packet dried porcini (25 g, about a packed half cup)
• 1/2 of a small onion, finely sliced
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, or: 3 tablespoons olive oil + 1/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups (300 g) short-grained rice.
• 1/3 cup dry white wine, warmed in a pan on the stove.
• 1 cup (50 g) frehsly grated Parmigiano
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream (optional)
• The water the mushrooms were soaked in, strained, and a quart of simmering water, beef broth, or watery bouillon
• A bunch of parsley, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste
Steep the porcini in a cup of boiling water for fifteen minutes.Meanwhile, slice the onion finely and sauté it in either three tablespoons of oil or 1/4 cup of butter. When it's lightly browned remove it to a plate with a slotted spoon and stir the rice into the drippings in the pot. Sauté the rice for several minutes, until it becomes translucent, stirring constantly lest it stick and burn. Return the onions to the pot, stir in the wine, and continue stirring until it has evaporated completely. Then stir in a first ladle of liquid (if you're using plain water, add about 3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt at this time), and while it's absorbing, chop the mushrooms and strain the liquid they soaked in, which can contain sand. Add the mushrooms and their liquid to the rice, then continue adding water or broth a ladle at a time, stirring occasionally. About five minutes before the rice is done, check seasoning. As soon as the rice is "AL DENTE", turn off the heat, stir in the remaining butter, half the cheese, the cream if you're using it, a little bit of ground pepper, the parsley, and cover the risotto for two minutes. Serve with the remaining grated cheese.