Carbonara is the Italian word for ‘charcoal burner’, so some people believe this dish was first made for charcoal workers in the Apennine mountains. The general view now, though, is that it is an authentic urban recipe that hails from Rome. Bucatini is a type of pasta that is thicker than spaghetti shaped like a small tube. I find it works better than spaghetti in a carbonara sauce, but that is entirely preference, fettuccine is brilliant with carbonara as well.
The secret to a top carbonara sauce is the quality of your ingredients. Try to get the best eggs, pancetta (smoked bacon), extra virgin olive oil, and best pecorino cheese you can get your hands on. The rest is just child’s play.
Do us a favour, please do not destroy this delicate dish by adding cream to it. This is an authentic Italian recipe and does not require any cream. I was shell-shocked that the English and American versions of carbonara all contained large glugs of double cream in the sauce. The egg yolk and pecorino cheese will create an incredible sauce for your pasta, the trick is to fold it into your pasta with the stove turned off. This is a dish that has to be eaten straight away, the sauce does not hold so well refrigerated or frozen. But with a recipe this easy to make, you are best off making it fresh all the time!
READY TO COOK?
- Heat the oil and butter in large frying pan over a medium heat and fry the pancetta for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and crispy. Set aside.
- Whisk the eggs and half the cheese in a bowl. Add the parsley and plenty of black pepper. Set aside.
- Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling, salted water until al dente. Drain well and tip it back into the same pan.
- Tip the contents of the pancetta pan into the pasta, then pour in the egg mixture. Mix everything together for 30 seconds with a wooden spoon. The heat from the pasta will be sufficient to cook the egg to a creamy coating.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately with the remaining cheese sprinkled on top.
INGREDIENTS
- 5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 250g diced pancetta
- 4 eggs
- 6 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino cheese
- 4 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 500g bucatini
- Sea salt and black pepper
A Magpie's Tale 