Ingredients
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320g Spaghetti pasta
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6 Egg yolk
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1 pinch Salt
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50g Pecorino cheese
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150g Pork cheeks
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1 pinch Pepper
Directions
Ah Roma… the Italian capital. So Romantic, so ancient, so rich of history… But did you know that it is the place where the very famous carbonara pasta was born back in 1944?
Yes, in fact, during the World War II Rome was occupied by the American army, and so it was for a very long time. For this reason, ingredients, recipes and cultures started to mix. This was the begin of the carbonara pasta.
Well, there was an italian chef, who had to cook for his family and for two military guests, but unfortunately had only eggs and bacon. He mixed the ingredients, adding only italian pecorino cheese, very common in Rome, and pasta. The result is currently one of the pillars of the italian food culture, very famous all over the world.
Another version of the story says that carbonara has been invented in Naples, with the common ingredients people could find in the “carbonara” (it means the coal cave where miners worked). They had to prepare something quick, so they took few ingredients, and invented “carbonara” as we know it.
Certainly, the preparation of carbonara pasta is not so difficult, but you have to be very careful when you add the eggs, because this recipe is made with raw eggs, and if you cook them, well… it’s not carbonara anymore, but it is something similar to scrambled eggs with pasta…
Please note: try to avoid bacon for carbonara pasta, because it is not common in italian cuisine, and it is replaced traditionally with pork cheeks. You may find difficult to find it (try to the butcher!), but if you succeed, you will notice the huge difference in flavour between pork cheeks and bacon!! This because bacon contains less fat than pork cheeks. You will see that you have to put the pork cheeks to “spurgare” in the pan, it means you have to make the fat melt, so you will have a creamy sauce.
Steps
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1
Done
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First of all you have to start boiling water. So, preparare a large pot if you want to use spaghetti, or a smaller pot if you want to use another type of pasta, maybe a short one. Add salt to the water and keep heating it. In the meanwhile start cutting the pork cheeks in small cubes. Put the cubes in large pan and pour on the stove, medium fire, in order to melt the pork fat gently. Do not overheat or the flavour will be to strong if you burn it. Please note: DO NOT USE any butter or oil. Use only pork fat. |
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2
Done
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While the pork cheeks is slowly cooking on the stove (and the fat is melting), you can start cooking spaghetti. Pour spaghetti in the boiling water and let cook for the time indicated on the spaghetti box. In those minutes take a small bowl, add the egg yolks, the pecorino cheese and a couple of pinches of pepper. Mix with a fork or a whisk and add a bit of cooking water if the cream is too thick. |
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3
Done
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It is time to assembly the plate! Wait until the pasta is cooked, notice that it has to be "al dente" and not overcooked. Then drain your pasta and pour it in the pan with the pork cheeks, still on the stove. Stir costantly, mix pasta and the pork cheeks, then take it away from the stove. Now add the carbonara cream and stir costantly. Mix it until the result is homogeneous enough. Then add salt or pepper if you want and serve! Please note, during this process you have to be really careful. Egg yolk MUST NOT be cooked, or you will lose the entire plate. ENJOY! |
