CSome people want it creamy, some want it drier, some don’t want to touch it. Carbonara remains one of the most loved (and discussed) dishes in Italian cuisine. And the April 6on the occasion of Carbonara Dayreturns as a protagonist on tables throughout Italy – between tradition, little secrets and some rules not to make mistakes. To celebrate it, Sustainable Meats together with chef Nicola Longanesi proposes one mini-practical guide to prepare it properly. From the cream to the bacon, up to the choice of pasta, here’s what to know to obtain a truly perfect Carbonara.
Carbonara: a (relatively) recent history
Symbol of Roman cuisine, Carbonara actually has more recent origins than you might think. According to some reconstructions, it was born after the Second World War, when the Allies used powdered eggs and bacon from military rations to season pasta. Today it has become an icon – but also a battleground between purists and innovators.
The secret of the cream? Whip it up like an eggnog
The real challenge of Carbonara is all in the consistency: creamy yes, but without an “omelette” effect.
«The secret for a creamy dressing is to whip the eggs as you would with an eggnog», this is the trick of chef Longanesi who recommends a cream made with egg yolks only, beaten with the bacon fat, black pepper, plenty of pecorino cheese and cooked in a bain-marie, a quick and practical method that allows you to obtain a dense mixture.
To avoid errors:
- never stop stirring
- avoid direct contact with boiling water
- always stir with the heat off
But how to understand when the cream is ready?
«Generally, 4-5 minutes are enough, stirring vigorously while keeping the preparation in a bain-marie and in any case until the mixture begins to thicken», explains Longanesi.
What if something goes wrong?
«Don’t worry – reassures the chef – the consistency of the cream can be corrected by adding hot cooking water if necessary to lengthen it or pecorino cheese to narrow the preparation».
Pillow: how to choose the right one
Here the purists do not compromise: no bacon, no bacon. You need bacon – but the right one.
«The right one – explains Longanesi – is the well seasoned one».
How to recognize it:
- small and compact pieces
- firm consistency (finger should not sink)
- good percentage of fat
An important detail concerns cooking:
«My advice – continues the chef – is do not put all the bacon in the pasta during creaming, but keep some aside to use when plating to ensure crunchiness to the bite.”
And pay attention to the final flavor:
«In fact, spices burn before meat and this is why you often risk finding a bitter note in the dish. Pepper can then be added directly to the cream, giving the dish the right balance».
Pasta: long or short? The important thing is not to make a mistake in cooking
Spaghetti or rigatoni? The choice divides, but everyone agrees on one thing: cooking.
«Risotto is strictly prohibited – says Longanesi – the cooking times must be respected and then the pasta must be dipped in the cream and the dish with a generous sprinkling of pecorino and a handful of crispy bacon».
The perfect Carbonara recipe (for 4 people)
Ingredients
- 400 g spaghetti
- 200 g bacon
- 6 egg yolks
- 100 g pecorino romano
- black pepper to taste
Preparation
Cut the bacon into strips and brown it without added fat until it becomes crispy. Set aside both the meat and the released fat.
In a bowl, beat the egg yolks with pecorino and pepper. In a bain-marie, whip the mixture with the bacon fat poured in slowly, until you obtain a dense and silky cream.
Cook the pasta al dente, add it to the bacon and stir in the cream off the heat, adding a little cooking water if necessary to obtain the ideal consistency.
Carbonara Day: a classic that never stops evolving
Divisive, loved, reinterpreted. Carbonara continues to be one of the symbolic dishes of Italian cuisine, capable of making (almost) everyone agree. And perhaps this is precisely its secret: a seemingly simple recipe, which requires technique, attention and respect for the ingredients.
