There are many legends about how this classic Roman recipe, La Carbonara, gained its name. My favorite antidote is about American GIs giving Italian soldiers some of their staple ingredients, eggs and bacon. The Italians, of course, had cheese and pasta. And so La Carbonara was invented. The best restaurant to enjoy this pasta is at Enoteca Ferrara, located in the charming Trastevere neighborhood in Rome. It is well worth a trip! I love to have a glass of Poggio Grande Syrah with the luscious pasta.
See ingredients, directions and pairings.
1/4 pound Guanciale or Pancetta, Bacon, soaked for 10 minutes to remove smokiness, can be used as a substitute
4 Large Eggs
1 Onion, minced
1 cup Pecorino, grated
2 teaspoons EVOO
Sea Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1 pound Spaghetti, cooked as directed, al dente
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt and spaghetti. cook until al dente.
In the meantime, heat the EVOO in a saute pan over medium heat and cook the pancetta and onions until golden brown.
In a bowl, beat the eggs, with 2 teaspoons of the Pecorino. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.
Add a spoonful of pasta water to the eggy sauce before draining the spaghetti.
Add the drained pasta and the egg sauce to the pancetta pan and toss over low heat for a few minutes.
Serve immediately with a sprinkle of Pecorino and fresh cracked black pepper.
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