Authentic Italian Carbonara

I have, sadly, never been to Italy. However, I adore Italian cuisine and when I lived in Japan I ate a lot of Spaghetti Carbonara as it’s a very popular dish there. Recently I researched how to make an authentic Italian Carbonara fit for the Romans themselves. I watched two videos, one from Italian chef Vincenzo who taste-tested his recipe in Italy on Roman hotel owners, and also the Italian Grandma Gina, of course, whose home cooking videos I adore. Both recipes are identical. Carbonara is so simple and delicious and tastes amazing using quality, authentic Italian ingredients. I’ve made this specific recipe twice now and I'm fully addicted.

You Will Need:

-‘Guanciale’ (Italian cured pork cheek - can be substituted with pancetta)

-Pecorino Romano cheese (can be substituted or mixed with good parmesan)

-Eggs

-Spaghetti (preferably a thicker noodle)

-Salt & Pepper

Method:

1. Grate your cheese with a fine grater. A lot of it.

2. Trim the rind off the guanciale and chop it into small match-like strips.

3. Add olive oil and salt to water, bring to a boil and add spaghetti.

4. Meanwhile heat guanciale slowly until slightly crispy in a large pan. DO NOT DRAIN FAT.

5. Beat eggs (one egg per person plus one more. So if you’re serving 5 people use six eggs. No need to separate yolks. You may separate the yolk from the extra egg to make it creamier if you like). Add the majority of your cheese. Save some to serve with later. Add freshly ground black pepper.

6. Once guanciale is cooked, add a bit of the pasta water. The starch helps to bind everything and make a creamy sauce.

7. Add a little of the pasta water to your egg and cheese mixture as well and mix.

8. Once spaghetti is al dente (or slightly firm but almost cooked) add to the pan with the guanciale. Coat the pasta in the delicious fat, then add a bit more pasta water, then the egg and cheese mixture.

9. Mix until the egg and cheese sauce is creamy (may take a few minutes- keep stove on low or off), then serve with pepper and more cheese. Make sure everyone gets a good amount of tasty salty meat. Do not add salt to this dish! The meat and cheese is very salty and we added a bit of salt to the pasta water too.

Enjoy!