The purist Roman version or a family version taught to me on vacation in Puglia? You be the judge.
story
Raw Egg Revelation
“This dish has raw egg?” I confirmed, eyes wide, mouth agape, and a very hungry toddler perched on my hip.
Sure, I like a nice runny yolk for brunch, and have even allowed encouraged my kids to eat plenty of raw cookie dough along with me, but somehow making a pasta “sauce” using raw egg seemed unfathomable to me at the time. Of course, I had a lot to learn.
Ever-gentle and patient, Puglia-born Piera smiled and assuaged my concern with a “Well, yes, but it is somewhat cooked by residual heat.” Piera’s reputation proceeded her, and having already tasted several of her Italian dishes in my own kitchen and enjoyed the most amazing porchetta to the preschool picnic that year, I yielded to her expertise. As with anything she ever makes, it was absolutely delicious, and not only an instant favorite, but it has joined many others on our list of family comfort foods.
Piera taught us the original Roman version, which is simply spaghetti, guancale or pancetta, egg pecorino romano cheese and black pepper. But I soon learned there was another camp of carbonara lovers who like to add shallots.
Fast-forward to August 2018, and ever-gracious Piera had invited us to see her beautiful homeland and meet some of her incredibly lovely family, in Puglia. One amazing evening we welcomed her siblings and cousins over to our AirBNB in Vieste, to share a meal on our rooftop, as a way to thank them for their hospitality at the beach all week.
This time, at the hands of her brother-in-law, Mimmo patiently taught me his version of spaghetti carbonara.
Carbonara, made either way, is a now family favorite that we make whenever we want to feel a satisfying hug from Italy. Both recipes are provided below.
music
Favonio
Saxophonist and singer in the band Favonio, Mimmo was the one who showed me how to whip up carbonara for a crowd one steamy evening on a rooftop in Vieste, Italy.
So, it is his music we now pair with this delicious dish. It’s fun for cooking, and for a dance party as well.
Note: also catch Mimmo’s music as part of the Limoncello Cake portrait!
recipe
Classic Carbonara
Version one is the recipe I learned from Piera, who’s husband hails from the city of this dish’s origins: Rome. It was just one of many dishes she taught me in my tiny Brooklyn kitchen as our three kids played. Someday I will find the time to capture more of the recipes and memories she shared with us.
Spaghetti Carbonara
Ingredients
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 4 yolks at room temperature
- 2/3 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated ~ 2 ounces
- 12 oz spaghetti, dried 3/4 lb
- 1/2 tsp olive oil optional
- 4 oz guanciale (or pancetta if that's all that's available), diced
- 1 cup pasta water reserved
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add spaghetti and cook al dente, according to instructions.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk eggs, yolk and cheeses, and season with a bit of salt and a lot of fresh black pepper. Set aside.
- Heat a small frying pan to medium and add a teensy bit of olive oil (depending on pan and meat you may want to prevent sticking). Then add guanciale and cook, stirring occasionally until browned a bit and cooked through. Turn off heat and set aside.
- When pasta is done, reserve 1 cup of cooking liquid, then drain the pasta. Put the pasta back into the large pot and add the oil/guanciale and stir to combine. Heat the mixture on medium until warmed through then turn off the heat, and stir in the egg mixture, combining quickly, and adding a bit of pasta water as you go to get it creamy.
- Serve immediately with additional grated pecorino and black pepper. Buon appetito!
Notes
- Shallots? – The Roman purists will say no shallots here, but it was served to us once with shallots in Italy, and it was delicious as well. If you so desire, add about 1/3 cup finely diced along with the guancale.
- Use Dried Pasta – I’ve been told this works better with dry spaghetti to help the sauce stick, and it’s also more authentic to it’s roots as a peasant dish as well.
- Serving Bowl – If you’d like to prep in a serving bowl, warm the serving bowl with boiled water (discarding the water and drying the bowl prior to serving). You could also add the egg to the pasta in this bowl if it’s large enough to mix, and it makes a great presentation / statement for your guests.
recipe
Mimmo’s Carbonara (with Shallots!)
Version two is this is the Carbonara recipe I learned from Mimmo, in a summer rental in the town of Vieste, a beautiful old coastal city in Puglia.
Making due with the limited kitchen supplies, half the fun was how he got creative to pull this off! Small stove, odd collection of pan… and no cheese grater?! And then the power went out just as we were finishing! But it all worked out and it was also delicious, shared with new friends, on the roof of our Airbnb as the sun fell behind the horizon across the Adriatic Sea.
Mimmo’s Carbonara
Ingredients
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 4 yolks at room temperature
- 2/3 cup Pecorino Romano cheese grated ~ 2 ounces
- 12 oz dried spaghetti (3/4 lb)
- 1/2 tsp olive oil optional
- 4 oz guanciale
- 2 shallots, sliced thin
- 1 cup pasta water reserved
- freshly ground black pepper
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Grate cheese and chop shallots and guancale.
- Heat a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, then add spaghetti and cook al dente, according to instructions.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk eggs, yolk and cheeses, and season with a bit of salt and a lot of fresh black pepper. Set aside.
- Heat a small frying pan to medium and add a teensy bit of olive oil (depending on pan and meat you may want to prevent sticking). Then add guanciale and shallots, and cook, stirring occasionally until browned a bit and cooked through. Turn off heat and set aside.
- When pasta is done, reserve 1 cup of cooking liquid, then drain the pasta. Put the pasta back into the large pot and add the guanciale/shallots and stir to combine. If needed, heat the mixture on medium until warmed through then turn off the heat, and stir in the egg mixture, combining quickly, and adding a bit of pasta water as you go to get it creamy.
- Serve immediately with additional grated pecorino and black pepper. Buon appetito!
- Buon Appetito!!
Notes
Which one will you choose? Or will you try one of each for a bit of a taste test? Do write us and let us know!