Two years ago France and Italy came to near blows over a recipe for spaghetti carbonara that was Frenchified with the addition of onions, creme, fraiche and, gasp…parsley!? It was a simpler time back then. One can argue that conflict over recipes is infinitely preferable to whatever shitstorm characterizes the political climate these days. International issue or not, spaghetti carbonara is my go-to comfort food. I always have eggs, pasta and parm/pecorino in the house and Trader Joe’s has these 4 oz packages of diced pancetta that are perfect for carbonara for two.
If you can get it, buccatini, a hollow spaghetti, is great for the silky clingy carbonara sauce, which works its way deliciously both inside and outside each noodle. Carbonara is something I can make in just about any state: hangry, hungover, late at night drunk on tequila, you name it! I spent a lot of time trying different recipes for carbonara and finally settled on one that is simple and classic. You can see it HERE.
A few carbonara commandments that I learned along the way:
- Don’t use milk or cream. Fat, starchy pasta water and cheese are all you need for an incredible sauce.
- Eggs are necessary and, if you want a richer sauce, use more yolks.
- Do not make your sauce in the pan you cooked the pancetta or bacon in. This can lead to scrambled eggs. Instead, fill a large bowl with hot water and let it sit while you are prepping your other ingredients. Then, when you are ready to mix everything together, dump out the water so you are left with a warm bowl that will gently nudge your sauce to silkiness rather than strong arm it.
Following these rules will result in a luscious, subtle sauce that is both rich and light, a far cry from the calorie bombs that can be found on some Italianesque restaurant menus, and on French food blogs apparently. However, I won’t judge if you prefer it creamy and/or parsleyed. I have a good friend who uses bacon bits and sour cream and I really enjoy her version as well. This is what is so great about comfort food. It is all about what makes YOU happy. We have enough to worry about in the world these days without drawing battle lines in our kitchens as well.
Adventures of a Hungry Ginger 