Tuscan Carbonara Recipes

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.