Spaghetti carbonara

Carbonara is not just a typically Italian dish, it is pure magic. Italians love carbonara so much they dedicated a whole day to it: April 6th is Carbonara Day. It is a true dream born from a mix of simple flavors and inexpensive, unrefined ingredients. It is not a first course with truffles or some unreachable ingredients.

Only three ingredients for Carbonara: eggs, guanciale and pecorino romano. The most popular pasta shape for carbonara is spaghetti. We also recommend ‘Mezze Maniche’ or any type of ridged pasta that holds sauce well.

How do you prepare carbonara? The secret is to make a perfect cream for the pasta. The cream you need is not cream, but made with egg yolks. The ham you want to use... put it aside! You need guanciale. Its fat is used to make the perfect cream. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients (for 4 people)

• Spaghetti 320 gr
• Guanciale 150 gr
• 5 egg yolks (one per egg + 1 extra)
• Pecorino Romano cheese 50 gr
• Black pepper (to taste)

Procedure

First, prepare the spaghetti: put a pot with salted water on the stove and when it boils, cook the pasta.

Meanwhile, prepare the guanciale: remove the outer part and cut it into slices, then strips about 1 cm thick and put the pieces in a pan where you cook them over low heat. When ready, put the guanciale in a bowl and set it aside.

Now it is time to prepare the cream. Put the yolks in a bowl and add the pecorino. Whisk until you get a smooth cream.

Now put the drained pasta in the pan already dirty with guanciale fat. Turn off the heat and pour the egg and pecorino mixture into the pan. Mix well and quickly to combine everything. And voilà!

What wine pairs best with spaghetti alla carbonara? A nice typically Italian red wine is a must.