Tuscan Carbonara Food

TRADITIONAL ITALIAN SPAGHETTI CARBONARA

Steps:

• Cut the guanciale into small pieces then simmer in a frying pan over medium heat for about 2 or 3 minutes. When ready, turn off the heat, cover with a lid and set aside.
• Whisk grated Pecorino Romano with eggs. Add a little bit of ground black pepper. Stir quickly until you get a creamy sauce and set aside.
• Cook the spaghetti al dente in plenty of salted water, following the cooking time you find on the pasta packaging.
• With the help of a spaghetti spoon, drain when they are ready. Then put them in the frying pan, OVER HIGH HEAT, to season them properly with the fat of the guanciale.
• When the spaghetti and guanciale are sizzling in the pan, turn off the heat. Now quickly add the eggs and pecorino cream and stir. Pay attention to the consistency, which must be creamy, but not fluid. If you notice that your spaghetti carbonara is too liquid, add some grated pecorino. On the other hand, if you see that they are too sticky and dense, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of cooking water.
• With the help of a ladle and a fork, create a pasta nest and place it on a plate. Add guanciale (the one left in the pan), freshly grounded black pepper and grated pecorino Romano cheese to taste.

CREAMY CARBONARA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
• Add the pancetta to a large skillet and saute over medium-low heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer the pancetta to a bowl using a slotted spoon.
• Add the half and half to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Whisk the egg yolks into the sauce. Whisk in the Parmesan cheese. Stir in the black pepper. Taste for salt and season if needed. I find no salt is needed since the cheese adds plenty of saltiness.
• Add the cooked spaghetti, bacon and basil to the skillet and toss well to combine.
• Garnish with more Parmesan cheese if desired and serve immediately.

SPAGHETTI ALLA CARBONARA: THE TRADITIONAL ITALIAN RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add guanciale (see Cook's Note). Cook, turning occasionally, until evenly browned and crispy, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain on paper towels.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, about 9 minutes. Drain and return to the pot. Let cool, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk eggs, half of the Pecorino Romano cheese, and some black pepper in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Pour egg mixture over pasta, stirring quickly, until creamy and slightly cooled. Stir in guanciale. Top with remaining Pecorino Romano cheese and more black pepper.

ULTIMATE SPAGHETTI CARBONARA RECIPE

Steps:

• Put a large saucepan of water on to boil.
• Finely chop the 100g pancetta, having first removed any rind. Finely grate 50g pecorino cheese and 50g parmesan and mix them together.
• Beat the 3 large eggs in a medium bowl and season with a little freshly grated black pepper. Set everything aside.
• Add 1 tsp salt to the boiling water, add 350g spaghetti and when the water comes back to the boil, cook at a constant simmer, covered, for 10 minutes or until al dente (just cooked).
• Squash 2 peeled plump garlic cloves with the blade of a knife, just to bruise it.
• While the spaghetti is cooking, fry the pancetta with the garlic. Drop 50g unsalted butter into a large frying pan or wok and, as soon as the butter has melted, tip in the pancetta and garlic.
• Leave to cook on a medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the pancetta is golden and crisp. The garlic has now imparted its flavour, so take it out with a slotted spoon and discard.
• Keep the heat under the pancetta on low. When the pasta is ready, lift it from the water with a pasta fork or tongs and put it in the frying pan with the pancetta. Don't worry if a little water drops in the pan as well (you want this to happen) and don't throw the pasta water away yet.
• Mix most of the cheese in with the eggs, keeping a small handful back for sprinkling over later.
• Take the pan of spaghetti and pancetta off the heat. Now quickly pour in the eggs and cheese. Using the tongs or a long fork, lift up the spaghetti so it mixes easily with the egg mixture, which thickens but doesn't scramble, and everything is coated.
• Add extra pasta cooking water to keep it saucy (several tablespoons should do it). You don't want it wet, just moist. Season with a little salt, if needed.
• Use a long-pronged fork to twist the pasta on to the serving plate or bowl. Serve immediately with a little sprinkling of the remaining cheese and a grating of black pepper. If the dish does get a little dry before serving, splash in some more hot pasta water and the glossy sauciness will be revived.

ITALIAN CARBONARA WITH BACON

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon slices on paper towels. Reserve 2 tablespoons bacon fat in the skillet and discard the rest. Chop bacon when cool enough to handle.
• Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and onion to reserved bacon fat in the skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour vermouth into the pan and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, about 1 minute. Mix in chopped bacon.
• Drain spaghetti, transfer to a large serving bowl, and mix in remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add bacon-onion mixture, Parmesan cheese, cream, eggs, and pepper to the hot pasta; stir until spaghetti is well coated and sauce is creamy.

THE BEST CARBONARA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
• Whisk together the eggs, yolks, Parmesan, Pecorino, pepper and butter if using in a large bowl until well combined.
• Add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta.
• Meanwhile, cook the pancetta in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Add the spaghetti and half the reserved pasta cooking water to the skillet and toss to combine.
• Add the egg mixture and toss to coat. Cook, tossing continuously to avoid scrambling the eggs, until the sauce is creamy, thinning it with the remaining pasta water if it becomes too thick (it should be saucy but not watery), about 1 minute.
• Divide the pasta among plates and sprinkle with more grated Parmesan.

TUSCAN CARBONARA

Steps:

• Cook spaghetti al dente (firm but not hard) according to package directions.
• Meanwhile, fry pancetta and onion over medium-low heat in large, straight-sided skillet until pancetta is crispy and onion has softened.
• Turn heat off.
• In medium bowl, whisk together yolks, cream and grated cheese.
• When spaghetti is ready, drain and toss it into skillet with pancetta and onion.
• Quickly pour egg mixture over spaghetti and toss well to combine.
• Season spaghetti with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

HOMEMADE PICI PASTA WITH CARBONARA SAUCE

Steps:

• For the homemade pici pasta: Whisk the flour, semolina and salt together in a large bowl. Heat 1 cup water in a small saucepan to a simmer. Add the olive oil and just 2/3 cup of the water to the flours and mix to combine. If the dough still looks a little dry, add more water, a small splash at a time, until the dough comes together. Gather the dough into a ball and transfer to a work surface. Knead the dough until elastic and somewhat smooth, about 3 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour and up to 4.
• Lightly flour a work surface with semolina. Divide the dough in two and roll each piece out to be about 1/4-inch-thick or a little less. Cut all of the dough into 1/4- to 1/2-inch-wide ribbons. Working one ribbon at a time, use the palms of your hands to roll it into a tube shape, pressing firmly to thin it out slightly and make elongated, uneven, wormlike strands. Repeat with the remaining pasta ribbons, transferring the pici to a sheet tray and lightly dusting with semolina as you go.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Add the pici to the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 4 minutes. Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pici.
• For the carbonara sauce: Put the pancetta in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the pancetta is crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the pancetta to a paper-towel lined plate with a slotted spoon. Pour about 1 tablespoon of the rendered pancetta fat into a large bowl.
• Add the eggs, Parmesan, pecorino and a generous amount of pepper to the bowl with the fat and whisk to combine.
• Add the cooked pici to the bowl with the cheese and egg mixture, then add a splash of the cooking water and the pancetta and toss until creamy and well coated. Add a little more pasta water to loosen if desired.
• Add to a serving dish and top with parsley. Serve with additional Parmesan.

PASTA CARBONARA RECIPE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Add 4 quarts of water and 4 teaspoons of salt to a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolks together; add the Parmesan cheese and black pepper and whisk until well blended. Set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a deep sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced pancetta and cook for about 4 to 6 minutes, or until slightly crisp. Turn off burner.
• Once the water reaches a boil, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook following the package instructions for al dente pasta.
• Remove about 1 cup of the pasta water and set it aside. Drain the pasta in a colander.
• Add about 1/2 cup of the reserved hot pasta water to the pancetta and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the drained pasta and continue to cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
• Gradually whisk about 1/4 cup of the reserved hot pasta water into the egg and Parmesan cheese mixture.
• Remove the pan from heat. Gradually add the egg and cheese mixture to the pasta, stirring and constantly tossing with tongs until the sauce is silky and clings to the pasta. Add more of the hot pasta water in order to thin the sauce, if needed.
• Serve the pasta with extra Parmesan cheese and a generous grinding of black pepper.

TUSCAN CARBONARA

Steps:

• Cook the spaghetti al dente (firm but not hard), in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions.
• Meanwhile, fry the pancetta and onion over medium-low heat in a large, straight-sided skillet until the pancetta is crispy and the onion has softened. Turn the heat off.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the yolks, cream and grated cheese. When the spaghetti is ready drain and toss it into the skillet with the pancetta and onion. Quickly pour the egg mixture over the spaghetti and toss everything together well to combine. The residual heat from the skillet, onions and spaghetti will be enough to cook the eggs and make a creamy sauce. Direct heat from the stovetop will make an overcooked, scrambled egg, lumpy mess. Season the spaghetti with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
• Cook's Note: You can also make this dish using any pasta shape you like. Try penne, fusilli, shells or cavatappi for a twist on the classic.

ULTIMATE PASTA CARBONARA RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 (200 C) degrees and line a large tray with paper towels.
• Arrange the bacon on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping the pieces halfway through, until the bacon is deeply colored and crisp. Transfer to the tray to absorb excess fat. Chop the bacon into small pieces.
• Whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, Parmesan and Pecorino cheeses, ¼ teaspoon salt and black pepper in a large mixing bowl. If you have a large pasta serving bowl, use that to mix and serve.
• Bring 4-5 quarts of water to a boil in a large saucepan or pot and add 1 tablespoon salt. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente (usually about 10 minutes.) Scoop out 3/4 cup of the cooking water before draining the pasta.
• Whisk ½ cup of the hot water into into the egg yolk mixture - this tempers the eggs so they won't scramble.
• Immediately dump the hot pasta into the bowl, then toss it all together quickly and thoroughly, using tongs or two spoons. You can add more water if the sauce seems dry. Sprinkle the bacon and parsley over the pasta and toss to combine. Serve right away, with additional grated cheese on the side.

CHICKEN CARBONARA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and garlic and saute until it is brown and crisp, about 8 minutes. Cool slightly.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, cheese, yolks, basil, and parsley to blend.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook until it is just tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Drain.
• Add the chicken to the pan with the pancetta and stir to combine. Next, add the spaghetti and the cream mixture and toss over medium-low heat until the chicken is heated through and the sauce coats the spaghetti thickly, about 4 minutes (do not boil or you might end up scrambling the eggs). Season the pasta, to taste, with pepper and salt if needed (the pancetta will likely add all the salt you need). Transfer the pasta to a large wide serving bowl. Sprinkle the walnuts and lemon zest over, and serve.

SPAGHETTI ALLA CARBONARA

Steps:

• Prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking to ensure that the spaghetti will be hot and ready when the sauce is finished; it is very important that the pasta is hot when adding the egg mixture, so that the heat of the pasta cooks the raw eggs in the sauce.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender yet firm (as they say in Italian "al dente.") Drain the pasta well, reserving 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water to use in the sauce if you wish.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium flame. Add the pancetta and saute for about 3 minutes, until the bacon is crisp and the fat is rendered. Toss the garlic into the fat and saute for less than 1 minute to soften.
• Add the hot, drained spaghetti to the pan and toss for 2 minutes to coat the strands in the bacon fat. Beat the eggs and Parmesan together in a mixing bowl, stirring well to prevent lumps. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the egg/cheese mixture into the pasta, whisking quickly until the eggs thicken, but do not scramble (this is done off the heat to ensure this does not happen.) Thin out the sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water, until it reaches desired consistency. Season the carbonara with several turns of freshly ground black pepper and taste for salt. Mound the spaghetti carbonara into warm serving bowls and garnish with chopped parsley. Pass more cheese around the table.