Do As The Romans Do...Your Way!

Carbonara always makes me scream with glee! It is also humbly known as coal miner’s pasta. This somewhat shows how Italian cuisine is based on simple ingredients. So the cooking technique and quality of the ingredients are crucial in executing a divine dish. I think this proves that decadence can come from the simplest of things.

Back to the pasta! Carbonara is one of the simplest and quickest dishes to whip up. Now, my usual carbonara recipe is far from traditional. I like to be absolutely extra! Loads of cream, bacon, garlic, parmesan cheese, and scallions. It is basically a jacket potato masquerading as a carbonara...perfection if you ask me!

Once again, I was craving carbonara but this time I wanted to make it as authentic as I possibly could. Since I wanted to learn the process to make authentic carbonara, I had to seek out a video from the godfather of Italian cooking, Antonio Carluccio. Of course, I also needed some simplified tips from Jamie Oliver.

So here’s a rundown of what goes in an authentic carbonara:

• Pork cheek– Guanciale

• Pecorino Romano

• Ground black pepper

• Pasta

• Eggs

I was a bit hesitant that I would not be using cream because there was a possibility of overcooking and having the pasta scrambled eggs instead of a smooth sauce. Boy was I wrong! Every spaghetti strand was coated with that smooth, cheesy sauce. Even without the cream, it tasted rich and creamy.

I didn't quite understand how, so I decided to read up on it. Here is a bit of food science to shed light on the situation. The emulsification of the fat from the pork and starchiness from the pasta water helps to create a thick sauce. Adding the pecorino and eggs helps to bind the sauce together. In plain English? Fat and starch form the base. While dairy and eggs are the binding, flavourful agents to complete the sauce.

For my recipe, I decided to go for the following:

• Pancetta (I am not bougie enough for guanciale, but I am fancy enough for pancetta)

• Pecorino Romano

• Ground black pepper

• Pasta

• Eggs

• Garlic (I know! I know it is not authentic, but I always need some garlic in my life)

This baby is definitely filling! The salty and smokey pancetta has a nice contrast to the smooth spaghetti. The ground black pepper gives that gentle spice and that pop of flavour that help cut through the richness.

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Creamy Spaghetti Carbonara

Ingredients:

The oink oink

• 3 cloves garlic – whole and crushed

• 1/4 cup of thick pancetta – cubed

• 3 tsp of ground black pepper

Carbs galore

• 1/4 cup of pecorino romano

• 2 eggs – beaten

• 3 ounces of dried spaghetti

• Extra pecorino cheese and black pepper for garnish

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Instructions:

1. In a pot, boil some water and cook the spaghetti according to the package. I like mine slightly over al dente so I cooked it for 8 minutes.

2. While the pasta cooks, Grab the three musketeers, pancetta cubes, garlic, and ground pepper into a COLD pan. You read it right, COLD.

3. You want to render the fat and develop the flavours to avoid that gummy texture or scorched flavour. Bring up the heat to medium after placing the three musketeers in the pan.

4. Once pancetta crisps up and becomes fragrant, pour 1/3 cup of pasta water into the pan. Mix well to help with the emulsification process.

5. Bring the pancetta’s heat to low and add in the drained pasta. Mix well.

6. Pour in the egg and pecorino. Mix well until the sauce reaches a creamy consistency.

7. Give it a quick taste and adjust the seasonings.

8. Garnish with more grated pecorino and black pepper. Dig in!