I enjoy going on little digestive walks in the evening once the hustle and bustle of the day comes to an end. You take in the street lights and the wet concrete receiving ripples of raindrops as if it were a small pond with green and red reflections. It’s a time when you can gather your thoughts in clarity, kind of like RZA’s Guided Explorations (for my Hip-Hop heads) where he explains, on the last track of the EP how to self-improve with a simple walk and his Wu-Tang philosophy. You then return home, brush your teeth and hop into bed with a fiction book for once to let your mind wander into another world.
The next morning seems the same as any other, coffee bubbling in the Bialetti and you look out the window as if you are in a corner office with your hands behind your back, eyes squinted to be surprised by an all-white tree, and bicycle seats covered in white curvy and poofy triangles. For some strange reason, it always gets me by surprise how excited I get seeing snow. The random idea of carbonara also caught me by surprise right then and there. No idea how my mind made that connection, but it did. Snow = Carbonara!
So I went shopping for four simple ingredients. Spaghetti, Pecorino, Guanciale, organic eggs, and oh! Pepper! So actually five ingredients. That’s all you need to be happy. Even though a glass of red wine and some relaxing music is an added bonus.
The reason for Pecorino and not Parmegiano is because of tradition and geography. Pecorino is made from sheep’s milk and is from Lazio (where this dish is claimed to hail from) and Parmegiano is from cows from Emilia-Romagna (avoid Parmesan, which is a cheap imitation and is not Parmigiano.) Guanciale is cured pork jowl (cheek) and is used because of its strong flavor and high fatty content whereas Pancetta is cured pork belly. Both of these use different curing periods and spices. In all honesty, no one will chase you down in the supermarket or at home yelling like Gordon Ramsay — unless you use Parmesan instead of Parmigiano then you are in a world of trouble.
Try to avoid anything else! No parsley, cream, garlic, onion, or bacon. Sure, you can but it just won’t be the same. Let the simplicity of this dish reach out to you.
Carbonara 🧀
This dish serves 2 copiously. Second servings will have to be fought for.
Prep time: 15 min
Cooking time: 15 min
Ingredients:
350g Spaghetti
200-250g Guanciale (if you can’t find Guanciale, substitute with Pancetta)
150g Pecorino Romano (if you can’t find Pecorino, substitute with Parmigiano)
4 Egg Yolks
Black Pepper
Preparation:
Get your famous pot for pasta and start boiling the water. Don’t forget to add that pinch of salt!
Cut away the skin of the Guanciale and cut it into cubes or small slices. Heat up a pan and cook on medium-high heat for 2 minutes afterward lower heat to medium. Keep cooking until crispy and stir often.
Meanwhile the Guanciale is getting crispy, grate the Pecorino into a large bowl.
Separate the egg yolks and lay the yolks on top of the grated Pecorino. Add 1/2 tablespoon of ground black pepper.
Mix the Pecorino, yolks, and pepper with a fork or a whisk until it becomes a thick sauce.
Put the spaghetti into the boiling water.
Reserve the crispy Guanciale in a small container for the final step. Turn off the heat from the pan and take 2-3 tablespoons of the fat from the pan to put into the bowl of thick sauce. Mix well.
Get a teacup and fill it with some boiling pasta water. Add 2-3 tablespoons of pasta water to the sauce. Mix well.
Strain the pasta and put it in the pan with Guanciale grease, add the carbonara sauce, and mix well.
You want a creamy consistency and not too runny. If it is too creamy, add a few tablespoons of pasta water. If it is too runny add more Pecorino.
Add the reserved Guanciale and serve as is!
Satisfaction is in full force with this simple and speedy recipe. The flavors are so on point that you’ll keep this recipe in your arsenal for friends and family, or even for yourself.
The history of this dish remains a mystery but its first appearance under the name Carbonara was around the end of World War II. Carbonara’s previous name could be pasta cacio e uova, a dish quite similar. One theory of the name is that it is derived from carbonaro which means ‘charcoal burner’ in Italian, which was thought to be a dish made for the Apennine charcoal workers. Another theory was that an American soldier in 1944 mixed his military rations in spaghetti which consisted of powdered eggs, bacon, and cream. Nonetheless, the people of Rome claim to have invented the dish. Which one do you believe to be true?