Carbonara Spaghetti or Rigatoni

Carbonara Spaghetti

When you visit Rome, don’t forget to go to Trastevere and try Carbonara at one of its typical restaurants or trattorie. I tell you, you’ll never forget the real taste of the Roman Carbonara. If you are curious about the origins of this dish, I can anticipate that as we know it today, it’s pretty a recent dish invention. Old versions of it, though with substantial differences, already existed in 1700’ and 1800’. The most similar recipe to the one we use today is from 1954, even if pancetta is used rather than guanciale. Guanciale was introduced in 1960 and with cream, which cream soon was taken away from the recipe books in the 80’-90’. We love this dish, easy and quick to prepare, no matter what origins it has: Roman, Neapolitan or even American, today you can find it in all Italian recipe books as an Italian dish.

Rigatoni is the classic type of pasta for this dish but, let's face it, carbonara with spaghetti is as delicious as with rigatoni: so, Carbonara spaghetti or rigatoni it's your shout on this or, really, what you have in your cupboard!

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Good to know

It is not always possible to find guanciale in the UK and around the world. The typical substitute of it is pancetta affumicata Italiana, which will give as well a tasty dish indeed and it is easier to find in the supermarkets. Pancetta and hard cheese pecorino Romano will make Carbonara spaghetti or rigatoni very salty, so reducing the quantity of salt in the pasta water is a trick to regulate the whole seasoning.

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Ingredients 4 servings

1. Spaghetti or rigatoni, 400 g

2. Guanciale (or smoked pancetta), 200 g

3. Eggs (medium), 4 yolks and 1 albumen

4. Pecorino romano, 200 g

5. Salt and pepper

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Let's Jump to the method

1. Get ready all ingredients.

2. If you buy a whole 200 g guanciale, first of all, cut the outside skin with a sharp knife. Now, cut it along to make two long strips, which will decide the thickness. Then, cut across 1cm thick strips . Put apart.

3. Get ready a large pot of water for 400g of spaghetti or rigatoni and bring to a boil. Ideally, for every 100 g of pasta you should use 1 litre of water and 10 g of salt for each litre, but in the case of carbonara, use 7 g of salt for each litre.

4. In the meanwhile, put a frying pan on the hob and add the guanciale (no oil needed) and let it slow cook until it is golden brown but not burned. Put aside.

5. Get ready the eggs. In a bowl crack the eggs separating the yolk from the white. For every person 1 yolk and just 1 egg white for the whole sauce. Beat the eggs together with grated pecorino Romano to make a cream, abundant pepper, salt. The cream you'd obtain should be quite dense, if not add more pecorino. Put apart.

6. When the guanciale is cooked, transfer it on a plate. When cool, add the fat formed in the frying pan into the eggs and cheese mixture. Stir again and put both guanciale and eggs mixture apart. Keep the same frying pan at hand as you’ll need it later.

7. When the water is boiling add the salt, then toss the spaghetti or rigatoni in. Follow the cooking time in the package.

8. Once the pasta is cooked, put the frying pan you was preserving on the hob and warm it up and add the cooked spaghetti or rigatoni to it; preserve the water of the pasta.

9. Add a ladle of the pasta water to the pasta and toss for few minutes. Then add the guanciale and toss again. Take out from the heat and add the eggs and pecorino creamy mixture. Add more water if needed. Toss again.

10. Serve your Carbonara spaghetti or rigatoni and buon appetito!
    

Carbonara spaghetti or rigatoni