Simple Ingredients for Carbonara
For our chefs table dish we are making a home-made linguini with a Carbonara sauce, I was brought up believing that it must have smoky delicious bacon in the sauce and with-out it, it was not worth it. Of course this was bastardised form many versions of the original, probably because pancetta or guanciala was not available, but that is not the only part, as a youngster cooking in my mothers kitchen we added lots of cream, which is also an insult to this great classic, I think the only thing we got right was the addition of the egg and pepper not even the garlic and parsley I loved in the sauce was correct.
For this recipe the linguini was rolled slightly thicker so it almost resembled a spaghetti
Pecorino should be used instead of parmesan
This recipe is for four small portions
80g cubed guanciala
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 large eggs
50g grated pecorino plus extra for serving
Fresh ground black pepper
3 tbsp Cooking liquid
Salt
1 small garlic clove – at own risk
1 tsp chopped parsley – at own risk
250g home-made linguini
Method
Bring water to boil, add salt
Over moderately high heat. Cook guanciala in olive oil until slightly coloured and fat has rendered but still soft, this is where some recipe differ as some people believe the pork must cooked until crisp. I keep the rendered fat in the pot when adding the pasta, but if you find it excessive pour some off.
Boil linguini in salted water and cook to al dente, then drain. Reserve some of the liquid.
In a bowl whisk the eggs, reserved cooking liquid add grated pecorino with black pepper
Pour linguini into pot with guanciala, remove from the heat and add the egg mixture and stir to combine thoroughly until all the pasta is coated. It is very easy to make a mess of this if done on the heat, turning the lush creaminess into scrambled eggs.
Serve immediately with extra helping of pecorino and pepper and enjoy
We present- Carbonara!
Next we will have to make another sauce, that demands the addition guanciala, a simple sauce not disguised with herbs, onion and garlic – Amatriciana
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