THE BEST SPAGHETTI CARBONARA
Serves: 4
THE BEST SPAGHETTI CARBONARA
Cook time: 30 MinTotal time: 30 Min
Ingredients
- 8 strips applewood-smoked bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1/2 medium sweet yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 pound spaghetti, cooked al dente
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, finely grated
- Salt and ground black pepper
- Zest 1/4 of a lemon
- Freshly chopped parsley
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a deep, heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until the fat begins to render, about 3 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden and the bacon is just crisp about 10 minutes. Add the wine and boil until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes.
- While the pasta is cooking, whisk the eggs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl. Drain the spaghetti in a colander and add it to the bacon mixture, then toss with tongs over moderate heat until coated. Add a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water, if desired, to cook the pasta for a minute longer. Remove the pan from the heat and add the egg mixture, tossing to combine. The residual heat will cook the eggs, but be sure to work quickly to prevent the eggs from scrambling. If the sauce is too thick, thin it out with a little bit of the reserved pasta water.
- Season liberally with freshly cracked black pepper and taste for salt since, depending on the kind of pork used, it may not need anymore. Add the lemon zest and parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.
- Recipes vary, though all agree that cheese (pecorino, parmesan, or a combination), egg yolks (or whole eggs), some sort of cured, fatty pork, and black pepper are essential basics. The pork is cooked until crisp, then the hot pasta is added to the pan to finish cooking. A mixture of eggs, cheese, and often butter or olive oil is combined with the hot pasta, away from the heat, to avoid making scrambled eggs with noodles!
- Like many recipes, the origins of the dish are unclear, but it is said that the name is derived from Carbonaro, the Italian word for a charcoal burner. Some believe that the dish was first made as a hearty meal for Italian charcoal workers and the etymology gave rise to the term “coal miner’s spaghetti,” which is used to refer to Spaghetti alla Carbonara in parts of the U.S.
- The majority of chefs agree that “true” carbonara has guanciale and not bacon or pancetta, although both alternatives make fine substitutions. Some say cream has its place in Carbonara, but I disagree…while I’m all for indulgence, if the dish is made properly, it just doesn’t need it!
- To be a non-conformist, I add caramelized onions to the dish, and I like to add just a hint of lemon zest to brighten the dish at the very end, along with a sprinkling of parsley. As for a wine pairing that pleases the palate, I recommend a German Riesling, not too sweet, or a berry-rich Syrah. You might ask, “why a Riesling”…well, with the lemon zest in the dish, the sweetness of the wine brings out the saltiness of the bacon and cuts through the richness of the cream. If you’re leaving the lemon zest out and prefer white over red, go for a food-friendly Pinot Grigio from Italy.
- The key to good Spaghetti alla Carbonara, like any good masterful method, is the quality of the ingredients. And, like most things that are made simply with a few ingredients, grasp the technique, and you’ll have mastered the art of this scrumptious Italian tradition.
Jamie Gwen
Jamie is a Culinary Institute of America and Le Cordon Bleu Graduate, a Syndicated Radio Host, Certified Sommelier, Public Speaker and 7-Time Cookbook Author.
To support restaurants, I re-released my digital cookbook at $5.99 and will donate all proceeds from the sale of the book to the Covid-19 Emergency Relief Fund, set-up by the Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation.