Spaghetti alla Carbonara is a traditional Italian recipe that will take your dinner night to the beautiful cobblestone streets of Italy.
This traditional dish is from the Lazio region in Italy. However, there are speculations that the dish is a delicacy inherited in the northern part of Italy in Polesine. Nearby countries have also argued their creation of the dish but have been strongly refused by every passionate Roman grandmother. In Roman stories, Carbonara is an alteration from “Cace e Ova”, a simple pasta that coalmen had in their pockets to eat cold with their bare hands.
Lazio is a central Italian region that borders the Tyrrhenian Sea. Rome, which is the capital of Italy, is the region’s main city as the heart of the ancient Roman Empire. It is famous for the Coliseum, which was an amphitheatre that seated thousands. In the city you can take a stroll through Villa Borghese, a famous city park with lakes, ancient trees and the beautiful Borghese Art Gallery. Lazio is also full of ancient spas, where the Romans built luxurious stone thermal baths used through the Republican Age to Imperial Age. This region is full of natural landscape with its mountains and ancient roads lush towards the coastline.
Enjoy this dish while imagining you are situated hillside in the beautiful region of Lazio.
Spaghetti alla Carbonara Recipe
(Thanks to Ivan Zeta)
This is the traditional recipe they use in the Lazio region. Simple and basic.
Servings: 4
Prep: 10 Mins
Cook: 15 Mins
Ingredients:
– 2 teaspoon olive oil
– 1-pound diced guanciale (cured pork cheek) *(Substitute unsmoked bacon or pancetta)
– 1 (16 ounce) package spaghetti
– 3 eggs
– 10 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese *(Substitute Parmesan cheese)
– Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
Step 1
Heat the olive oil in a medium-large skillet over medium heat. Add Guanciale. Cook. Turn frequently until it is evenly browned and crispy (5-10 minutes). Remove from heat and drain on paper towels.
Step 2
Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until they are tender, yet firm to the bite (9 minutes). Drain and return to pot to cool. Stir occasionally to ensure noodles do not stick to pot or together (5 minutes).
Step 3
Whisk eggs, half of the Pecorino Romano cheese, and some black pepper in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Pour egg mixture over pasta, stirring quickly. Add and stir in Guanciale. Top with the remaining Pecorino Romano cheese and more black pepper to taste.
Notes:
Have someone stir the pasta while pouring egg mixture on top.
Enjoy your night in Italy and be sure to check back for more Travel With Your Taste Buds recipes to take your dinner to another part of the world! If you want to see more about local Italian delights see our Eating and Drinking in Italy Blog!