{"id":1108,"date":"2014-11-17T22:48:21","date_gmt":"2014-11-17T22:48:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thecherryplumkitchen.com\/?p=1108"},"modified":"2014-11-17T23:13:08","modified_gmt":"2014-11-17T23:13:08","slug":"spaghetti-alla-carbonara","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thecherryplumkitchen.com\/?p=1108","title":{"rendered":"Spaghetti alla carbonara"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Spaghetti alla carbonara is an incredibly popular supper in my house. \u00a0I suppose it’s not so very far removed from \u00a0‘eggs and bacon’ which might account for it.<\/p>\n

Most of the recipes, published in the UK, are rich with double cream …<\/p>\n

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\u2026 but not this one.<\/p>\n

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It does make me wonder what they put in those gloopy jar sauces \u2026 \u00a0The ingredients list is tiny. \u00a0Store-cupboard\/freezer stuff, really.<\/p>\n

My carbonara sauce changed after a second visit to Rome. \u00a0A fellow foodie had sent me on a trek to Trastevere and, more specifically, ‘Da Carlone’. \u00a0Should you wish to follow in my footsteps you find it in Via della Luce 5, near Isola Tiburina.<\/p>\n

Their carbonara was not heavy. \u00a0Not gloopy. \u00a0No wimpy bits of streaky bacon.<\/p>\n

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Da Carlone use\u00a0guanciale\u00a0<\/em>which is pig cheek – and it was delicious. \u00a0I’ve never been able to find that, so my replacement is pancetta. \u00a0Helpfully, my local deli sells some beautiful pancetta. \u00a0Don’t worry about the fat. \u00a0Really.<\/p>\n

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Cut it up into nice bite-sized pieces.<\/p>\n

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Get your water on to boil. \u00a0It’s 1 litre of water for every 100g dried pasta. \u00a0Minimum. \u00a0You need this quantity of water because the pasta will release lots of starch and too little water will see it being re-absorbed.<\/p>\n

Keep the lid on – it will boil faster. \u00a0Just before the water comes to the boil you add the salt. \u00a010g for every litre of water is the guideline. \u00a0This feels like a lot. \u00a0I can’t honestly say I measure it, but I add until I feel like I’ve overdone it .. and never have. \u00a0Coarse salt is preferable.<\/p>\n

Think ‘as angry and as salty as the mediterranean sea’.<\/p>\n

There’s no need to add any oil. \u00a0If you think about it – oil floats on the surface of water so it’s not going to do anything to stop your spaghetti sticking together. \u00a0(The only exception is lasagne sheets – a little bit of oil keeps them seperate as you slide them into the saucepan.)<\/p>\n

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Do I weigh my pasta??? \u00a0Sometimes. \u00a0Every now and then I give my portion sizes a check – it’s all too easy to supersize without meaning to.<\/p>\n

How much per person depends on whether you are going all out. \u00a0Pasta is often the Primo course – that’s the one slotted between Antipasto and Secondo. \u00a0It’s smaller. \u00a050g-ish, as there’s so much else to come. \u00a0100g per person is what I cook for a standalone family supper. \u00a06ft menfolk get a larger portion than I give myself.<\/p>\n

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Give the bundle of spaghetti a bash on the work surface and it will splay out like a sheaf of corn. \u00a0To be truthful I don’t think I’ve ever seen a sheaf of corn, but it’s how I imagine one might look …<\/p>\n

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Add the spaghetti to your fiercely boiling water. \u00a0Give it a stir with a wooden fork and put the lid back on. \u00a0You want the water to come back to the boil as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n

Then lid off again \u2026 and get on with the sauce.<\/p>\n

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Roll the sage up and cut into little strips. \u00a0Chiffonade is the posh name – just in case you need it for a charity quiz night.<\/p>\n

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Bash the garlic cloves, no need to peel. \u00a0Love that.<\/p>\n

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Put the ‘good’ olive oil – yes, really – this is a time for the pricey extra-virgin olive oil – in a huge skillet type pan. \u00a0On a low heat, warm the oil so that it’s flavoured with the sage and garlic. \u00a0It’s all very \u2026 gentle.<\/p>\n

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Now add the pancetta cubes.<\/p>\n

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They are done when they look like this. \u00a0Turn off the heat.<\/p>\n

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Fish out the garlic cloves. \u00a0Their work is done. \u00a0(If you love garlic, it’s almost irresistible not to squeeze it on some toast. \u00a0Cooks’ perks?!?)<\/p>\n

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You need two eggs and one egg yolk for a ‘carbonara’ for four. \u00a0(All the normal reservations about raw or lightly cooked eggs apply –\u00a0\u2018not for the very young, the elderly, when pregnant or for people with suppressed immunity\u2019.)<\/p>\n

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Beat together in a bowl. \u00a0Add the finely grated parmesan or pecorino and lots and lots of black pepper. \u00a0Have your unsalted butter, cubed and ready.<\/p>\n

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Odd picture, I know. \u00a0But, it’s back to the spaghetti. \u00a0If you are feeding Italians you have to concentrate here. \u00a0Soggy, water logged pasta wins no plaudits. \u00a0Al dente.<\/em> \u00a0That’s cooked through with a slight bite so you know you are chewing something but no uncooked pasta at the centre. \u00a0Test a strand 1 minute before the minimum cook time on the spaghetti packet.<\/p>\n

Then, and this is why there’s this picture, scoop off a little of the starchy water before you drain the spaghetti.<\/p>\n

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There’s no need to be too thorough. \u00a0A little water is all to the good. \u00a0Return the drained spaghetti to the hot saucepan and add the butter. \u00a0Give it all a good stir so the butter melts and coats the spaghetti strands.<\/p>\n

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Turn the heat on beneath the pancetta pan and tip the coated spaghetti into it. \u00a0Stir to coat with flavoured oil and disperse the pancetta cubes.<\/p>\n

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Then tip the spaghetti into a warmed serving bowl and immediately add the cheesy egg mixture. \u00a0Stir. \u00a0The hot spaghetti will ‘cook’ the eggs. \u00a0(If you’ve got everything too hot you’ll end up with scrambled eggs. \u00a0It looks revolting but will taste just fine.)<\/p>\n

A few tablespoons of the reserved starchy water will make everything silky smooth and surprisingly creamy tasting.<\/p>\n

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That’s it. \u00a0A little parsley would have looked pretty but it tastes better without it. \u00a0Lots of Parmesan or Pecorino, freshly grated. \u00a0Buon appetito<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"spaghetti<\/a>Spaghetti alla carbonara<\/strong> – Serves 4<\/em><\/p>\n