This is a real spaghetti carbonara recipe made the traditional Italian way, without a single drop of cream.
It relies solely on egg and cheese to make a luscious, creamy carbonara sauce.
Food fit for a king (or queen!)
Raw guanciale. Sub with pancetta or bacon.
that proves simple can be magnificent.
But dont add cream!
And indeed, theres plenty of recipes that cheat by adding in cream.
But today, were making spaghetti carbonara properly, the authentic, traditional way.
Just egg, cheese and a splash of starchy pasta cooking water.
15 minutes later, THIS is the sight that will be in front of you.
And youll make 60 million Italians beam with pride!
you could imagine eating that mouthful of chewy spaghetti bathed in the creamy sauce, right?
Dont dream about it.
Make it a reality!!
Its so quick and easy it will blow your mind!
What happens if I add cream?
Raw guanciale. Sub with pancetta or bacon.
Outside of Italy, lots of recipes cheat by adding cream into carbonara sauce, for various reasons.
Not a bad thing, per se, its just that its no longer a real carbonara.
You see, real carbonaraisrich and creamy to eat.
But you dont get that slick of dairy fat coating your mouth like you do when eating cream.
Watch the magic unfold before your eyes as 4 simple ingredients transforms into a luxurious creamy sauce!
Economical note:Substitute guanciale with bacon and use parmesan instead of parmigiana reggiano.
Youll still capture the essence of real carbonara that will make Italians proud!
Find itat Italian delis,Harris Farms(Syd, QLD), and speciality produce stores.
Its a bit of a speciality product butcan be substituted with pancetta or streaky bacon in a pinch!
Best to get block form so you’re able to cut it into thick batons.
If pre-sliced is all you might get, have a go at get thick cut.
More information on guanciale below.
Parmigiano reggiano This is basically a premium parmesan thats been aged so it has more complex flavours.
Theres no need for cream for a creamy sauce!
See section above for why.
We use a combination of whole eggs, plus egg yolks for richness.
If only yolks are used, the richness is a little too off-the-charts!
In fact, raw eggs are used more commonly than you probably realise, such as intiramisuand mayonnaise.
So if youve ever had any of these at restaurants, youve had raw eggs!
However, if you are pregnant or immunity compromised, I would recommend avoiding raw eggs as a precaution.
Freshly ground black pepper recommended here.
No saltin sauce The pasta cooking water is salted so it flavours the spaghetti as it cooks.
And the carbonara sauce gets salt from the guanciale and cheese.
But bacon or pancetta makes a very respectable substitute!
It has more intense flavour than everyday bacon because of the pork cut used and its aged 3+ months.
Youll see in the recipe video below!
Substituteguancialewith pancetta or bacon, preferably in block form so you could cut it into batons.
Biting into the golden brown chunks of guanciale is a highlight of this dish!!
Whichever you use, its essential to ensure theres plenty of streaks of fat.
Perhaps not considered a negative, by some!
How to make (real) carbonara
Saute guanciale until golden.
HOT TIP:Use the handle of a wooden spoon to mix.
Batons Cut the guanciale into thick batons.
Finely gratethe parmigiana reggiano or pecorino.
I use a microplane one of cant-live-withoutkitchenware items!
Sauce Whisk together the egg, cheese and pepper in a large bowl.
Prevent screen from sleeping
Cook pasta Bring 4 litres (4 quarts) of water to the boil with 1 tablespoon of salt.
Cook the pasta per packet directions.
It should be firm, not soft, but fully cooked through.
Reserve pasta cooking water Just before draining, scoop out one cup of pasta cooking water.
Then drain the pasta in a colander.
Cook guancialeuntil golden while the pasta is cooking.
You dont need any oil, the guanciale will fry in its own fat.
That stuff is gold!
Add 1/2 cup pasta cooking waterinto the bowl.
You know its readywhen the sauce is no longer watery and pooled in the bottom of the bowl.
Instead, it will be thickened, creamy, and clinging to the pasta!
Serve immediately in warm bowls.Pasta waits for no one!
Warm bowls?Yes.
I dont usually warm bowls for serving food, but for pasta, I almost always do.
As it cools, the sauce thickens and the pasta gets stodgy.
A warm bowl prolongs the life of pasta.
I just warm bowls by placing a stack in the microwave for 1 minute.
Else, run it under hot water or put in a low oven.
And there you have it.
One of the most luxurious pasta dishes in the world.
Did you know it was this quick and easy to make?
Such is the beauty of Italian food.
Its an absolutely stunner.
I really hope you try this one day.
Heres the one that came up today!
