In 1999 I visited Italy for the first time, that's when I fell in love
with food. I was very picky as a child (G thinks I am still), I wouldn't
eat vegetables, always left half of my food, but after I tried the
Carbonara I knew that was going to be my favorite food forever, I could
eat it everyday for the rest of my life! After 11 years, I can say I've
learned to prepare it and I can even tell you where I've eaten the best
Carbonara.
But first a little history: Wikipedia tells us that, like most recipes,
the origins of the dish are obscure, and there are several hypotheses
about it. As the name is derived from
carbonaro
(the Italian word for charcoal burner), some believe that the dish was
first made as a hearty meal for Italian charcoal workers. The dish was
first recorded after the war as a Roman dish, when many Italians were
eating eggs and bacon supplied by troops from the United States.
The dish became popular among American troops stationed in Italy; upon
their return home, they popularized spaghetti alla carbonara in North
America.
As it happens with the
amatriciana, there's always diatribe among food lovers about the ingredients of the Carbonara. Some
say it's better to use bacon, others lard and whether or not to use the
egg white, cooking point of the egg, use of cream and the type of
cheese.
Here's the average recipe:
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 400 g spaghetti;
- 150 g bacon or lard; bacon has to be high quality but for everyday, regular diced bacon will do.
- 30 g pecorino romano - a good seasoned parmigiano or other pecorini will do as well.
- 4 eggs - You must use one egg per person (max. one for 2 pax), I prefer to use the whites as well.
- salt and pepper;
(Isn't it amazing that with these
simple ingredients you can create something so delicious? maybe that's
what I love the most about Carbonara, simple yet amazing)
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the past and cook as directed on the package.
In the meantime, cook diced bacon in a skillet until crisp. Mix the eggs in a bowl with the grated pecorino and plenty of pepper
When
the pasta is cooked, drain and pour it in a big bowl where you will add
the bacon (with the cooking grease/fat). Stir in the egg mixture and
toss thoroughly until combined (my short experience has taught me that
the egg must not be cooked, so
it must be added after the stove's off, mixing continuously and serving
immediately).
Serve immediately and, if needed, add more grounded pepper and grated pecorino
Wine pairing (by G): medium-bodied white wines from Lazio, possibly with scents of aromatic herbs,
Vermentini
from Liguria and Sardinia but G prefers a good
Verdicchio from Le Marche. Collio from Friuli (Ribolla, Tocai, Malvasia, Pinot gris and
Sauvignon) might be an original idea. If you prefer red wine it must be
a smooth blend that won't cover the taste.
We were saying, after years and years of eating Carbonara all around
Italy I can state that the best one I've tried was prepared on a
wonderful sunny summer afternoon in the Marche hills by my friend S.
from Iran... now you must be thinking: what? was it not prepared by an
Italian??? - No. I don't know what S. does (she's very secret about
it), but her Carbonara is just perfect! and you have to consider that
most of your perfect meals also depend of the atmosphere and company. So
imagine, having this just-prepared delicious Carbonara by the poolside
overlooking the Marche smooth hills and enjoying it while chatting with
good friends... just perfect!
A quick fact FYI, recently, Rome's best Carbonara was elected, turns
out it's prepared by a Moroccan chef from Antico Forno Roscioli - a
gourmerie
near Campo de' Fiori. I won't be writing about it because even if it's
Rome's best, portions are ridiculously small and prices are high...
thanks but no thanks!
