SPAGHETTI CARBONARA – Recipe by Piero Benigni – This dish is simple, delicate and tasty. Although typical of Roman cuisine, it is very popular throughout Italy and abroad. We will prepare it with the authentic and original recipe.The few rules should be fully observed.
Spaghetti carbonara was born in Rome in ’44, when the Allies had already arrived but there was still little to eat. It seems that an ingenious innkeeper created it by using bacon and powdered eggs available in the town thanks to the presence of the U.S. Army. However there are no precise sources, not even on the curious name.
Ingredients for 2 persons
- 170 gspaghetti (6 0z)
- 2yolks
- 30 gpecorino romano (1 oz)
- 60 gpork cheek (2 oz)
- black pepper (freshly ground, to taste)
- salt (to taste)
Tools for spaghetti carbonara
- Cooker
- Pot
- Pan
- Bowl
- Chopping Board
- Knife
- Wooden fork
- Colander
- Whip
Preparation
Getting ready
Put a large pot of salted water over a medium fire. Cut the pork cheek into slices 1 cm (3/8″) thick, then into strips of similar thickness and 2-3 cm (1″) long. This allows it to be well browned and crunchy on the surface, soft and sweet inside. If you chop too small or brown too much, it loses smell and becomes too salty. Take a good look at the photo in which it is seen after browning.
Put the 2 egg yolks in the bowl and beat them with a whisk, then add the grated pecorino cheese and grind some pepper on top. Beat again until you have a smooth cream without lumps.
Cooking
When the water boils, throw in the pasta and start browning the bacon in a large pan. As soon as it is crunchy on the outside, with the transparent but still tender fat inside, turn off the heat and stop the browning by pouring 2 tablespoons of the pasta water.
Turn the heat back on under the pan when the pasta is still very al dente, then drain it and put in the pan. Save a large cup of cooking water. Finish cooking the spaghetti in the pan by stirring quickly and with the help of a few tablespoons of pasta water.
When al dente put pasta and pork cheek in the bowl and add 2 spoons of pasta water. Turn and stir quickly to distribute the egg all over, wetting again if necessary with a little water from the pasta. The finished dish should be creamy and slightly wet, obviously not watery.
Serve quickly on pre-heated dishes and sprinkle with a little pecorino and pepper on top. This dish should be eaten as soon as prepared and I do not recommend keeping it in the fridge or freezing it.