Cheese and Pears

Pasta Carbonara

Posted on May 18, 2010 08:05:02 PM

Pasta carbonara is a very fascinating thing, let’s start with the ingredients for 4 people:

• 320g spaghetti (this is the typical type of pasta for the carbonara)
• 100g bacon, diced
• Salt and pepper
• 3 eggs
• extra-virgin olive oil
• 50g of grated Parmesan cheese. The ideal cheese should be Pecorino, which is made from sheep’s milk and has a sharper taste than Parmesan.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, then add the bacon and gently stir fry until the bits are golden and crispy. Set aside and let them cool down.

Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl, and add the salt and pepper.When the bacon is at room temperature add it to the eggs.

While you’re cooking the spaghetti according to the packet instructions, take a few minutes to remember the one and only truth about “carbonara sauce”, and repeat it as a mantra: carbonara sauce doesn’t exist. At least if, by “sauce” we mean a separate entity, which we mix into the pasta.

The reason why there is no such thing as sauce for carbonara, is that, what you pour on the spaghetti are just lightly beaten eggs, which will immediately start to coagulate with the heat of spaghetti.This is why the secret of the Italian pasta carbonara is all in a good timing, so follow me.

Pour the spaghetti in the colander, let gravity do its job, but just when all water has been drained, put the colander on top of the saucepan, for five seconds, then pour the spaghetti back in. You will need a little bit if the cooking water or the pasta will be too dry, but not too much. This is why the timing is so important.

Add the eggs, and stir until they are completely curdled. Add the Parmesan and serve. If you’re not sure of what you’re doing, collect part of the cooking water in a separate bowl, drain the spaghetti completely, then add the water one tablespoon at the time until it’s not too dry.

There are four different parties when it comes to the spaghetti carbonara recipe. First, there is the smoked vs the unsmoked bacon. In the latter case you would use guanciale,which is made from the pig’s cheek. Then there is the cream vs cooking water party.

Whereas I’m fairly neutral when it comes to bacon (being in Ireland I would definitely go for the smoked one), I have no quibble about saying that I’m a proud member of the cooking-water-party.

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