Gf and I aped Gallo and whipped up full plates of pasta alla carbonera - what we'd eaten @ The Galloria the previous Sunday. It seemed easy ('they always make it look easy')to make and was tasty as hell, so we decided to try. I got the pasta and some bacon apple smoked and the eggs and the cream. We didn't have the gallorecipe, so we used one I got out of a book - well, two. We didn't know to use the one w/ cream or the one w/ water. Since I'd gotten some cream, we decided to use it.
Too much, it seems. What we got was an awashed finish product - there was a soupy bottom to our creation. But it was, guess what, good. We did it. It wasn't quite the grand creation of chez gallos (w/ appropriate image of gallo w/ a pepper mill applying a smattering of specks across the steaming hot plate) = but we'll do it again.
We uped to Lanigan that nite, and sloshy me needed extras to fill out my churling stomach. It was to the carbonera I went again - and by that time, the liquid had been absorbed into the spaghetti. truely, it tasted even better the second time around. Finally, Carbonera met its waterloo on Sunday.
Too much, it seems. What we got was an awashed finish product - there was a soupy bottom to our creation. But it was, guess what, good. We did it. It wasn't quite the grand creation of chez gallos (w/ appropriate image of gallo w/ a pepper mill applying a smattering of specks across the steaming hot plate) = but we'll do it again.
We uped to Lanigan that nite, and sloshy me needed extras to fill out my churling stomach. It was to the carbonera I went again - and by that time, the liquid had been absorbed into the spaghetti. truely, it tasted even better the second time around. Finally, Carbonera met its waterloo on Sunday.
9 comments:
Oooooh i would kill for a pasta right now.
I know you don't want a recipe blog but considering that you used cream in a Carbonara maybe you could use one.
Again, could not be easier, and since there are only a few ingredients use the best available.
OK, put down pipe and go into kitchen.
Bring a bigpot of water to boil so that you can put your 1 pound of dry De Cecco spaghetti in while you make your sauce (only cook it about 8-9 minutes because you will finish it in your sauce pan for about 2 minutes).
Sauce starts with 1/3 pound bacon cut from slab into 1/2 inch cubes (traditional to use guanciale but since a key to good food is to use the best locally available stuff I use Nueske's bacon)
Brown and render bacon until golden brown with a few sprigs of fresh thyme in a lttle olive oil. Remove bacon and thyme sprigs but leave fat behind. (This could take awhile so time your spaghetti accordingly) In same pan saute 1 small yellow onion that you diced fine. After a few minutes add 2 cloves garlic and season with salt, pepper and dried red pepper flakes and saute another minute or so.
In a bowl mix 3 super fresh eggs with 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano that you just grated before putting the water on to boil.
Before draining spag take a ladle-ful of the hot water and add it to your sauce pan. Then drain spag and put immediately in pan. Take pan off heat and add egg/parm mix and bacon lardons and mix together but gently for about a minute so so eggs cook.
Put in bowls, finish with more grated cheese and plenty of black pepper (hence the carbon).
Say - did you use cream in yrs? Can you send yr recipe.
ok - y used lots of different things than we did. We contimuanlly were like.. "well, did he use this?"
All the ingredients used are in the above post -- I just prefer a recipe to be in prose rather than list form.
I do not use cream because I do not think it is necessary and it diminishes the miracle of the sauce that bacon fat, eggs and cheese can make. What's cool about eating a great Carbonara is that you do not think of a "sauce" (which is inevitable with a loose creamy sauce) instead you think about the fact that you are eating the best spaghetti ever which has been lightly gilded with some mysterious substance.
we noticedno sauce, but using the fat just seemed crazy. We will adjust.
That's why you should never be a slave to any recipe -- even one of mine's. Depending on the bacon, who knows how much fat will be rendered? If it looks like too much, pore some off but you want enough left for flavor and to saute the onion and garlic -- I'd say at least 3 tablespoons. Remember this recipe is pretty rich and meant to feed like 4-6 people.
Next time we will do another bacon/pasta that's even easier -- Bucatini all'Amatriciana.
love the bacon and the pasta
long overdue for the fry,though
Let's do a fry soon. Can I make brown soda bread?
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