Pasta alla Carbonara
Pasta alla Carbonara
A very quick and easy dish, that was relatively recently created. Apparently it appears in no Italian cookery book before 1945, and is said to have been created by the citizens of Rome when the GI's turned up with bacon and eggs aplenty. It goes something like this:
1. Cut up some bacon, real or fake, into small pieces.
2. Crush 2 or 3 cloves of garlic with the side of a knife blade. Fry them in a pan with olive oil or butter.
3. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Any plain pasta will do, or even a stuffed tortellini.
4. While pasta cooks, fry bacon with the garlic until crispy (but not too carbonara!). Discard the garlic cloves.
5. Crack three eggs into a bowl, whisk up with some half and half cream and some black pepper. Mix in some shredded cheese (cheddar, mozarella, whatever you have). Don't be tempted to add salt; there's bacon in this dish.
6. Add the pasta to the bacon in the frying pan, and toss around. Take off the heat.
7. Add the whisked eggs and mix in. We want the eggs and cream to make a sauce, not to solidify into scrambled eggs, so keep the pan off the heat and add the odd teaspoon of pasta water as needed to keep things liquid. Keep tossing until all salmonella organisms are dead, but the eggs still aren't solidified.
8. Serve into warmed shallow bowls. Garnish with grated parmesan, more black pepper and some parsley or cilantro.
Accept compliments gracefully and pretend you do this kind of thing all the time.
Chris
1. Cut up some bacon, real or fake, into small pieces.
2. Crush 2 or 3 cloves of garlic with the side of a knife blade. Fry them in a pan with olive oil or butter.
3. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Any plain pasta will do, or even a stuffed tortellini.
4. While pasta cooks, fry bacon with the garlic until crispy (but not too carbonara!). Discard the garlic cloves.
5. Crack three eggs into a bowl, whisk up with some half and half cream and some black pepper. Mix in some shredded cheese (cheddar, mozarella, whatever you have). Don't be tempted to add salt; there's bacon in this dish.
6. Add the pasta to the bacon in the frying pan, and toss around. Take off the heat.
7. Add the whisked eggs and mix in. We want the eggs and cream to make a sauce, not to solidify into scrambled eggs, so keep the pan off the heat and add the odd teaspoon of pasta water as needed to keep things liquid. Keep tossing until all salmonella organisms are dead, but the eggs still aren't solidified.
8. Serve into warmed shallow bowls. Garnish with grated parmesan, more black pepper and some parsley or cilantro.
Accept compliments gracefully and pretend you do this kind of thing all the time.
Chris
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
Re: Pasta alla Carbonara
I love Pasta Alla Carbonara, and this recipe sounds good, Chris, very straightforward. Still, no picture of the end result?
David
“Use any means to keep from being a genius, all means to become one.” John Cage
“Use any means to keep from being a genius, all means to become one.” John Cage
Re: Pasta alla Carbonara
Sorry, all eaten.TheMonk wrote:I love Pasta Alla Carbonara, and this recipe sounds good, Chris, very straightforward. Still, no picture of the end result?
C.
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
Re: Pasta alla Carbonara
Ah! That's actually happened to me more then once - only remembered to take a pic when I was finishing eating it.drmoss_ca wrote:Sorry, all eaten.TheMonk wrote:I love Pasta Alla Carbonara, and this recipe sounds good, Chris, very straightforward. Still, no picture of the end result?
C.
David
“Use any means to keep from being a genius, all means to become one.” John Cage
“Use any means to keep from being a genius, all means to become one.” John Cage
- fallingwickets
- Clive the Thumb
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Re: Pasta alla Carbonara
With mouth watering envy, I write that carbonara is probably the best way to eat macaroni ever invented, after puttanesca of course haha
I found my recipe (sans cream) via:
http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-authent ... chn-170893
I post the article only because it includes comments from several well regarded chefs which may be of interest to you gents.
clive
I found my recipe (sans cream) via:
http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-authent ... chn-170893
I post the article only because it includes comments from several well regarded chefs which may be of interest to you gents.
clive
de gustibus non est disputandum
Re: Pasta alla Carbonara
Clive, thanks for that recipe and discussion link.
Gary
SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
- Sam
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Re: Pasta alla Carbonara
Can I sub mibced garlic. Oh what the heck. Got to get the cilantro anyway so I'll grab a Head of garlic. I'm all on this
Re: Pasta alla Carbonara
Sure, all recipes are adaptable.
Chris
Chris
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
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Re: Pasta alla Carbonara
Chris, does the sauce tend to break into oil and protein? Or does it remain creamy throughout?
Just curious. I never made it. The cook in me tends to look for potential problems and solutions before I get knee deep in alligators.
Just curious. I never made it. The cook in me tends to look for potential problems and solutions before I get knee deep in alligators.
Brian
Maker of Kramperts Finest Bay Rum and Frostbite
Or find it here: Italian Barber, West Coast Shaving, Barclay Crocker, The Old Town Shaving Company at Stats, Maggard Razors; Leavitt & Peirce, Harvard Square
Maker of Kramperts Finest Bay Rum and Frostbite
Or find it here: Italian Barber, West Coast Shaving, Barclay Crocker, The Old Town Shaving Company at Stats, Maggard Razors; Leavitt & Peirce, Harvard Square
Re: Pasta alla Carbonara
It stayed creamy for me, but there are two parts to making sure about that. One is to have the pan of bacon and pasta off the heat before you add the eggs, and the other is to add a teaspoon or two of pasta water if needed to keep the sauce glistening and smooth. You don't want scrambled eggs!
Chris
Chris
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
- fallingwickets
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Re: Pasta alla Carbonara
quite true, but I have to say this: even if the eggs do scramble (a lot, a little, or just somewhat) the dish is beyond tastyYou don't want scrambled eggs!
clive
de gustibus non est disputandum
Re: Pasta alla Carbonara
This recipe sounds delightful. I'm looking forward to trying it. Thanks.drmoss_ca wrote:A very quick and easy dish, that was relatively recently created. Apparently it appears in no Italian cookery book before 1945, and is said to have been created by the citizens of Rome when the GI's turned up with bacon and eggs aplenty. It goes something like this:
1. Cut up some bacon, real or fake, into small pieces.
2. Crush 2 or 3 cloves of garlic with the side of a knife blade. Fry them in a pan with olive oil or butter.
3. Cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Any plain pasta will do, or even a stuffed tortellini.
4. While pasta cooks, fry bacon with the garlic until crispy (but not too carbonara!). Discard the garlic cloves.
5. Crack three eggs into a bowl, whisk up with some half and half cream and some black pepper. Mix in some shredded cheese (cheddar, mozarella, whatever you have). Don't be tempted to add salt; there's bacon in this dish.
6. Add the pasta to the bacon in the frying pan, and toss around. Take off the heat.
7. Add the whisked eggs and mix in. We want the eggs and cream to make a sauce, not to solidify into scrambled eggs, so keep the pan off the heat and add the odd teaspoon of pasta water as needed to keep things liquid. Keep tossing until all salmonella organisms are dead, but the eggs still aren't solidified.
8. Serve into warmed shallow bowls. Garnish with grated parmesan, more black pepper and some parsley or cilantro.
Accept compliments gracefully and pretend you do this kind of thing all the time.
Chris
Gary
SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
SOTD 99%: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, soaps & creams, synthetic / badger brushes, Colonial General razor, Kai & Schick blades, straight razors any time, Superior 70 aftershave splash + menthol + 444
Re: Pasta alla Carbonara
My wife and I love simple yet flavourful pasta recipes and this one would seem to be perfect for us. I'll probably make it for super later this week.
Bryan
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Re: Pasta alla Carbonara
Sounds good Chris, I prefer either pancetta or quanciale (gwan-chah-leh) instead of the bacon. Bacon is smoked and the others are not. Just not nuts about the smokey flavor compared to the unsmoked meats. But like in shaving YMMV.