If you’ve been to Rome, Italy, you’ve probably enjoyed an excellent carbonara pasta, and you might have also tasted pasta alla gricia. But there’s another creamy and flavorful pasta dish typical of Roman tradition: fettuccine alla papalina (literally translatable as fettuccine for the Pope). Perhaps less famous than the dishes I mentioned earlier, these creamy fettuccine are dressed with a sauce made from eggs, cream, and prosciutto. Often confused with other recipes popular in Italy—such as pasta with cream, peas, and ham—fettuccine alla papalina boast illustrious origins traceable to a very specific historical moment. It seems that Cardinal Pacelli, the future Pope Pius XII, asked one of the restaurateurs near the Vatican for a new pasta dish, but one still rooted in Roman tradition. The restaurateur served him a plate of pasta that in appearance closely resembles carbonara, but, perhaps to give it a touch of nobility, incorporates prosciutto (raw ham) instead of guanciale. Another ingredient in fettuccine alla papalina, entirely foreign to carbonara, is cream, which, together with the egg yolks, creates a creamy and delicate sauce. Instead of pecorino cheese, which is essential for a good carbonara, fettuccine alla papalina use Parmesan cheese, and, to finish, they require a bit of onion in the initial sauté. This blend of flavors makes fettuccine alla papalina a tasty yet delicate dish, a recipe worth rediscovering.
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Ingredients for the traditional pasta alla papalina
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How to Prepare Fettuccine alla Papalina – Original Roman Recipe
To prepare Fettuccine alla Papalina, start by cutting the raw ham into thin strips.
In a pan, melt the butter over low heat and add the finely chopped onion. Sauté it for two or three minutes, adding a little hot water to prevent it from burning. Now, add the prosciutto.
Let it brown on low heat for a couple of minutes, being careful not to burn it. Turn off the heat.
In a bowl, mix the two egg yolks with cooking cream, add the Parmesan cheese, and a generous grinding of black pepper, and whisk vigorously with a whisk or fork.
n the end, you should have a smooth cream; do not add salt because the seasoning is already sufficiently flavorful.
Boil the fettuccine in plenty of salted water and drain them very al dente, saving a good amount of cooking water. Transfer them to the pan with the prosciutto and toss them for about a minute, adding a ladle or two of cooking water.
Turn off the heat and add the cream and egg sauce, stirring immediately to prevent it from curdling. The sauce should be very creamy; if it dries out too much, you can further dilute it with some cooking water.
Serve the Fettuccine alla Papalina immediately, garnished with more pepper and Parmesan cheese to taste.
Tips
Even though the presence of cream and butter makes the sauce easier to prepare, like carbonara, it’s important not to let the egg curdle. If you prefer, you can transfer the pasta, once mixed with the cooking water, to a bowl and only then add the egg and cream sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What Can I Use Instead of Prosciutto?
While the original recipe for Fettuccine alla Papalina calls for prosciutto, a very popular ingredient in Italy, if you can’t find it, you can substitute it with lightly smoked bacon.
What Types of Pasta Can Be Used with Papalina Sauce?
Egg pasta, in any shape such as fettuccine, tagliatelle, garganelli, or farfalle, works wonderfully with this sauce. If you can’t find egg pasta easily, you can use regular pasta of your preferred shape.
Varied doses for servings