Black on white (Spaghetti alla carbonara) 4 September 2007

Spaghetti alla carbonara. Have you ever wondered why it’s called carbonara when the sauce is white? Only when we were watching David Rocco did I find out that this is a common dish among coal miners. Carbone means coal in Italian, and so-named because specks of coal would inevitably get in the dish.

But a simpler explanation is that it’s named after the specks of freshly milled pepper that cover the pasta noodles!

The Italian version doesn’t have a trace of cream, and is much lighter than the stuff that I’m used to getting in restaurants here in the Philippines.

Guanciale or unsmoked Italian bacon prepared with pig’s jowl or cheeks is traditionally used because it’s very flavorful and has a light texture. But pancetta is also very common. But fear not. If you can’t get pancetta, you can use any smoked or unsmoked bacon in the market.

As eggs used are raw (and cooked only with residual heat from the pasta), I strongly suggest you use organic and/or free-range eggs.

Here’s a slightly modified version of David Rocco’s recipe:

You need:

• extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons
• garlic, 2 cloves, crushed
  
• spaghetti, 500g
  
• pancetta, 100g, cubed (you can get this at Santi’s Deli)
• organic free-range eggs, 4 pieces
  
• fresh milk, 1 cup
  
• pecorino cheese, 1/2 cup, freshly grated (or a combination of pecorino and parmigiano reggiano)
• black pepper, freshly milled is better!
• salt to season

And here’s what you do:

1. Cook spaghetti in boiling salted water. In a saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
2. Add garlic, pancetta and cook for a few minutes. Remove garlic when it is golden brown and lower the heat.
3. In a bowl, add milk, pecorino cheese, salt, and grind in lots of black pepper.
4. In another bowl, separate the eggs, making sure not to break the yolks. Add egg whites to milk mixture and mix well.
5. When spaghetti is at the al dente stage, drain well.
6. Add pasta to the saucepan with pancetta and remove from heat.
7. Pour in the milk mixture and stir for a minute or so. The heat from the spaghetti will cook the egg and thicken the sauce.
8. Plate and garnish each serving with an egg yolk on top.
9. Add fresh ground black pepper and serve immediately. YUM!