Autumn has rolled around yet again and with this season our taste buds crave warm, rich and indulgent dishes to tuck into. One such dish that is perfect for those cravings is a long standing traditional Italian pasta dish from Rome. Of course we are talking about the creamy Carbonara! Through the years many have adapted the dish and it now has many different forms, but today Diforti brings you the classic and most simple way to cook the best Carbonara for yourself at home.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
• 1 tsp of Garlic Granules or 2 Garlic Cloves (to your preference)
• Spaghetti of your choice (or any long thin pasta you choose)
• Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano
• 1 tbsp of Butter
• Smoked Pancetta Cubes
• 3 Large Eggs
• Black Pepper
• Fresh Parsley
SERVES: 2-4
COOKING TIME: 15 MINS MAX
STEP ONE: Start by measuring out the spaghetti you need for the amount of people eating. Bring a pot of water to the boil and carefully add your spaghetti (or thin pasta of choice) and allow to cook on medium heat for about 10-11 MINS.
STEP TWO: While the pasta is cooking we can prepare the rest of the ingredients for the recipe. If you are using garlic cloves then be sure to peel the skin away and finely chop the 2 cloves. Grate about 100g of Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano. If you wish to up your Carbonara game then half each of these cheeses to mix together for 50g of each. Also crack then beat the 3 large eggs into a bowl and leave to one side.
STEP THREE: Be sure to keep an eye on the pasta but next you can add a handful at a time the grated cheese of your choice into the beaten eggs and mix together well. Try to beat quickly and hard in order to not cause any air bubbles or lumps in the mixture.
STEP FOUR: When there is about 4 MINS left on the pasta, add a pan to the heat and spoon the tbsp of butter in to melt around the base. Then add the chopped garlic or garlic granules to release the flavour and scent before adding in the pancetta.
STEP FIVE: Add the pancetta to the heat and mix well with the garlic butter. Keep the heat fairly high and keep the meat moving in order to get a nice even crispy cook.
STEP SIX: Drain the spaghetti, taking care to save a cup of the water used for the cooking. This can be used to help the pasta from drying out later on if needed.
STEP SEVEN: Add the drained pasta to the pancetta still on the heat and mix well. This step will allow all the meat, butter and garlic juices coat the pasta locking in all the flavour. Once mixed, remove from the heat and allow to cool off for about 1 MIN.
STEP EIGHT: Spoon in the beaten eggs and cheese mix and stir in immediately. The trick to keeping the sauce creamy is to keep the pasta moving. The heat from the pasta should be enough to cook the eggs without curdling this way. Also at this stage add in black pepper to your taste. If things become too dry or sticky then simply use the reserved pasta water from earlier to help liquefy and ultimately thicken up the sauce.
STEP NINE: After about 2 MINS of stirring in the sauce and allowing to cook, serve out your desired proportions and grate some Parmigiano or Pecorino over your dish and garnish with fresh parsley.
STEP TEN: Time to eat obviously, go before it gets cold!
