SPAGHETTI CARBONARA!!
The whole point of this blog is show how easy it is to cook Italian food. I'm starting off with the basics as these are often the best dishes. They are simple and easy to make and really tasty. Spaghetti Carbonara is one of these dishes but a lot of people still use pre-made sauces so now is the time to change those bad habits.
Now this may come as a shock to a lot of people but there is no cream in Carbonara sauce. It is actually quite a dry pasta dish. I know we serve it in a cream sauce in La Cucina but it would be too dry if we didn't because it's take-away. There are a few different recipes but this is the one we make from the south of Italy. All you need is the following:
- 100g pancetta - once again I'm promoting Superquin here as they do a really good Rovagnati pack which is perfect for 2 -3. It's in the cold meat section. ( I should be getting advertising fees at this stage
) If you can't get pancetta just use a good quality smoked bacon. - olive oil
- parmesan cheese - buy a small block and grate yourself or a pack of the freshly grated. You need about 80-100g. About 2-3 good handfuls.
- 2 egg yolks beaten
- salt and pepper
- 300g De Cecco spaghetti - a little over half a packet.
- serves 2
HOW TO MAKE IT!!
- Bring a pot of boiling water to the boil, add a good bit of salt and cook pasta until al dente. (the salt is important)
- Heat a glug of olive oil in a frying pan and cook your pancetta. You don't need too much oil as the bacon has lots of natural oils.
- Beat your egg yolks in a bowl and add some of your parmesan, salt and pepper, this mix will be quite thick. If you like your carbonara creamier you can add a little cream or milk at this stage.
- Drain your pasta, put back in the pot and add your bacon and egg mixture and put over heat for a couple of minutes. Keep mixing with a large pasta fork until the egg coats the pasta. Now if you really love your cream you can add a bit more if it's too dry.
- Serve with freshly grated parmesan on top.
It's that simple so throw away those jars and stir-ins!!!
Just found your blog through ICI - will be adding a link! Looks great! (Comment this)
I must admit I have always been sceptical of those who claim to have "easy" recipes.It's easy when you know how! I risked your carbonara recipe as i figured with so few ingredients the chance of error was reduced. I am stunned at how simple it was and absolutely delicious.It was also super fast. For those who are not naturals in the kitchen it is definately worth the shot. Keep the recipes coming! (Comment this)