If you’re looking for a traditional pasta Carbonara recipe, you’re in the right place! Carbonara has been one of the most popular pasta dishes, and one of the most famous ones around the world. However, the more countries the more varieties, most of you probably never tasted the real Italian pasta alla Carbonara. We are going to talk about this in the article, as well as we’ll share where is the Carbonara originating from, and you’ll also find a video about the story of the Carbonara’s origin. Then, you’ll see the traditional Italian Carbonara pasta recipe as well! Make it traditional, make it delicious, make it simple!
Traditional Pasta alla Carbonara Recipe, History, Tips
The traditional pasta Carbonara is a really simple, cheap dish. All you need for a traditional Carbonara pasta is the spaghetti or bucatini pasta, eggs, pork jaw (guanciale), parmesan cheese, and pecorino romano cheese. These are the only ingredients used for a real Italian Carbonara recipe!
Of course, you should season it with salt and pepper, but that’s a basic for almost every dish out there. After research on the topic, I have found that many of you are searching on the web for easy pasta carbonara recipes. As with every traditional Italian dish, the Carbonara is an easy dish, and it’s only complicated if it’s not made traditionally.
We’ve seen many non-Italian chefs creating different varieties of the Carbonara pasta, with ham, onions, different vegetables, cream, and so on… These creations are NOT the Italian Carbonara, and Italians get actually pretty pissed off when they see how their delicious, traditional dishes are twisted out around the world.
How the Pasta alla Carbonara was born? A story of the origin of the Carbonara pasta
According to Barilla’s movie, the traditional pasta Carbonara was born in Rome in WW2. This is known from different sources, so it’s actually the accepted story of the origin of the Carbonara. Since it was war, there were very few ingredients to find for any dish.
The chef had to go creative and think about how to combine the ingredients that can be found on the market (or the black market, since it was wartime). Check the video to know more about the traditional Italian carbonara pasta recipe’s story.
Where is the only place to eat the real, authentic Italian carbonara?
If you want to try the real, authentic Italian Carbonara pasta, you should be booking your stay in Rome right away! On the first night, go for a traditional Roman Osteria, or Trattoria, and order a Carbonara. It’s really important that the ingredients are of high quality. And the pork jaw in Italy is just amazing.
Moreover, we in Italy sustain that each local or regional dish is the best in its own region, made with local ingredients. Tastes are very different around Italy, so even if it’s an easy dish that every Italian who can cook makes at home, the Carbonara will always taste the best in Rome!
Traditional Pasta Carbonara recipe – The real Pasta alla Carbonara
Now, without any further do, we can dig into our Italian Carbonara recipe. Make sure you read the steps carefully! The recipe is easy, it’s a really simple dish, but its perfection lies in making each step the right way! The key of success is in the details!
Traditional Pasta Carbonara Recipe
Ingredients
- 500 g Pasta (Spaghetti or Bucatini)
- 4 Eggs
- 20 g Pecorino Romano Cheese
- 20 g Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
- 80-100 g Pork Jaws (Guanciale)
- Salt, Pepper
Instructions
- Your first step in making a traditional pasta Carbonara recipe is, to take the pork jaws, and chop it into tiny, long shaped cubes. You add one teaspoon of Olive Oil in a pan and you heat it.
- Then, you add the jaws and you cook them until the fat melts down and it becomes a bit crunchy. Don't overcook it because it will be too hard, or it burns.
- In the meantime, put the water to a boil and add salt to it! Once the guanciale (or bacon) is ready, put it aside, but leave it in the pan, as you'll need the pan for the last step.
- When the water is boiling, add the pasta in and cook it al dente. In the meantime, beat 4 egg yolks and 1 white, add salt and pepper, 3/4 of the grated parmesan cheese, and the Pecorino Romano cheese.
- Mix it well, and leave it on the side. When the pasta is getting ready, add 2-3 tablespoons of water to the eggs and stir it right away! This will help the sauce stay creamy!
- Then, drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the guanciale. On really low heat mix it together for 1-2 minutes, so the pasta will soak up the flavor.
- And here comes the magic that many people fail to do right!
- When you're adding the eggs to the pasta in the pan, you must keep the heat really low. Then, as soon as you've added the eggs in, mix it well for 1-2 minutes.
- DO NOT leave the pasta there without continuously stirring it!
- The moment you see that the eggs are getting creamy enough, turn off the heat right away!
- If you overcook it, the pasta Carbonara will not be creamy, and the egg will get lumpy. The lumpy egg on the pasta is still good, but it's definitely not as tasty as if it stayed creamy. Serve with the remainings parmesan cheese on top.
Other great Italian pasta recipes: Gramigna alla Salsiccia and Penne Pasta with Tuna and Tomatos. The Italy-inspired recipe is the feta pasta recipe you can try!
If you’re in Rome, make sure to pass by Jazz Cafe for a delicious Roman pasta alla Carbonara! Also if we are talking about Jazz Cafe and the pasta alla Carbonara, you should definitely roll into our cooking classes if you’re heading to Rome! Check out our website: Eatalian Cooks. If you are looking for great ingredients, you make sure to check out best Italian cheese list, and also the best Italian olive oil brands.
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