Spaghetti alla carbonara

Carbonara is a typical italian sauce for pasta, precisely from Rome, based on guanciale (pork cheek), eggs, black pepper and Pecorino Romano D.o.p.

The origin of this dish is controversial: someone says that it was born during the Second World War when, after the liberation of Rome, US militaries give food to italian people and especially spaghetti, bacon and eggs. But the old roman people say that this dish was already exist. Probably the true origin of Carbonara is, like many italian recipes, popular. In fact the dish takes his name from Carbonari (roman dialectal for charcoals). According to this hypotesis charcoal workers invented this dish with ingredients easily available like eggs and guanciale (pork cheek).

In the popular roman kitchen is often used pork cheek because is a poor part of the pork and 'cause this is more fat than bacon. This allowed roman people to don't use oil or other fat more fine (and expensive).

But let's start with the recipe.

Ingredients for 3 persons:

Spaghetti 300 g. (10,5 oz)

3 Eggs

Guanciale 200g. (7 oz)

Black Pepper

Salt

Pecorino cheese (Pecorino Romano Dop)

In the video on Youtube I used also bacon because I'm living in Holland and here is impossible to find italian guanciale (I brought it with me from Italy). So I used also bacon in case someone couldn't find guanciale, because, I repeat, is not easy find it outside Italy.

At first take a full water pot and bring it to boil. Meanwhile in a pan put in guanciale and wait it will be golden brown and crunchy. Usually italian guanciale is very fat and already peppered but if you use bacon have to add a little of olive oil and grated pepper.

When water is boiling put inside an hand of salt and then pasta. Meantime in a bowl beat eggs with black pepper, pecorino cheese and a pinch of salt.

When pasta is "al dente" (about 2/3 minutes before the recommended time of cooking), put pasta in the pan without throw away the cooking water, with the help of a fork or a skimmer.

So add a tablespoon of cooking water and sautee pasta for about two minutes in the pan, then add eggs and immediately cut off the fire because eggs have to remain raw.

Now add an other tablespoon of cooking water and sautee pasta for about one minute in the warm pan with eggs and guanciale.

Serve this with an hand of pecorino cheese and black pepper above.

Enjoy your meal, or rather "Buon appetito!"