Spaghetti alla carbonara (spaghetti with creamy egg and bacon sauce) – Lazio
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Categories: Kids, Quick and easy, Gluten free* use gluten free pasta
Carbonara refers to the word carbonari which means “charcoal burners. There are differing explanations as to how this dish was named. The most popular explanation is that it was invented during the American liberation in World War II by a Roman cook who used the American rations of bacon and eggs to make this tasty pasta dish. Another explanation is that this is similar to another dish called cacio e ova (cheese and egg) eaten by charcoal burners when they worked and that the Americans added the bacon to the dish during World War II.
Carbonara refers to the word carbonari which means “charcoal burners. There are differing explanations as to how this dish was named. The most popular explanation is that it was invented during the American liberation in World War II by a Roman cook who used the American rations of bacon and eggs to make this tasty pasta dish. Another explanation is that this is similar to another dish called cacio e ova (cheese and egg) eaten by charcoal burners when they worked and that the Americans added the bacon to the dish during World War II.
Author: Woo Wei-Duan
Recipe type: Primo (First course)
Cuisine: Lazio
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or butter
- 150 grams guanciale, pancetta, or bacon, skin removed, thinly sliced and cut into thin strips 2 cm x 2 mm x 2mm
- 1 garlic clove, smashed
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground, plus more for dusting
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 350 grams spaghetti
- 50 grams Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
- 50 grams pecorino, finely grated
Instructions
- Bring to a boil 7 litres of water with 70 grams of salt added to cook the pasta in. Do not add oil to the water.
- Heat a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the olive oil until warmed and then add the guanciale and garlic.
- Stir the guanciale until brown and crispy, about 7 minutes.
- When the garlic is golden, remove from the pan and discard.
- Remove the guanciale from the heat.
- Place the guanciale in a separate bowl, and drain all but 1 tablespoon of the grease. Reserve the pan without washing.
- In a separate bowl, add the black pepper and the eggs.
- Mix the eggs together.
- Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook a little under al dente (1 minute less than the time indicated on the package). Drain the spaghetti (do not rinse), reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Working quickly, add the spaghetti to the _guanciale_in the bowl (not in a hot pan or the egg will scramble when mixed).
- Stir the pasta with a wooden spoon until well mixed.
- Add 1 spoonful each of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and pecorino and the egg mixture, continually stirring until well mixed. Add the rest of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and pecorino, continuing to stir until well mixed.
- Add 120 ml pasta cooking water, mixing until the sauce becomes glossy and liquid, not cloying and chunky. Do not worry, the heat of the pasta and the pasta water will cook the egg.
- If the sauce is too runny and not coating the pasta, place the pasta with sauce back over low heat stirring constantly for 1-3 minutes until it coats the pasta. Divide into 4 serving bowls and grind black pepper over the top and serve.
Notes
When making this dish for children sometimes I add peas to the pasta water 4 minutes before the pasta is finished cooking.
Instructions using the Vorwerk Thermomix Bimby:
Place 50 grams Parmigiano-Reggiano and 50 grams Pecorino cheeses into the mixing bowl and grate 10 seconds/speed 10. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Add one clove of garlic and 150 grams pancetta to the mixing bowl 5 min/120C/speed 1. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate, discard the garlic and reserve the pancetta.
Place 1.2 litres of water and 5 grams of salt into the mixing bowl and heat 10min/100C/Speed 1.
Add 350 grams spaghetti pasta to the water and cook without the measuring cup in place for the time indicated on the packet of pasta/100C/reverse Speed 1.
Drain the pasta and set aside.
Working quickly, add 3 eggs, grated cheeses, 2 grams salt and freshly ground black pepper to the mixing bowl and mix 15sec/speed4.
Add the pasta and the pancetta to the mixing bowl and cook to thicken the sauce 1.5 min/86C/reverse speed1. Serve.
Instructions using the Vorwerk Thermomix Bimby:
Place 50 grams Parmigiano-Reggiano and 50 grams Pecorino cheeses into the mixing bowl and grate 10 seconds/speed 10. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Add one clove of garlic and 150 grams pancetta to the mixing bowl 5 min/120C/speed 1. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate, discard the garlic and reserve the pancetta.
Place 1.2 litres of water and 5 grams of salt into the mixing bowl and heat 10min/100C/Speed 1.
Add 350 grams spaghetti pasta to the water and cook without the measuring cup in place for the time indicated on the packet of pasta/100C/reverse Speed 1.
Drain the pasta and set aside.
Working quickly, add 3 eggs, grated cheeses, 2 grams salt and freshly ground black pepper to the mixing bowl and mix 15sec/speed4.
Add the pasta and the pancetta to the mixing bowl and cook to thicken the sauce 1.5 min/86C/reverse speed1. Serve.
Hi! I currently live in Milano, Italy due to my husband’s assignment and while I was reading the article by “The Local” titled ‘Seven Italian Ways to Beat the January Blue’, I came across your picture of carbonara. Sine the beauty of your picture and the pretty “plate/china” caught my eyes, I decided to search your blog and here it is! I happened to be looking for a good recipe of carbonara, so thank you! I’m also curious about where you acquired the plate you used in the picture to present the pasta. Grazie mille!
Hi!
Thanks for your message. I always love to hear from people who read the posts. Thanks for your kind words.
Sorry for the delay in responding, I have been giving your question some thought. Sadly I am not entirely sure where I bought the bowls as it was a while ago. It is a vintage bowl. If I didn’t buy it in Italy or France, then I may have purchased it on Etsy.com – always a great resource for vintage goods. In bocca al lupo! Enjoy your time in Milano. If I come across any similar bowls, I will send you a message.
Best wishes,
Janet