Carbonara: original recipe

To begin the preparation of carbonara, we start from the guanciale from which the rind must be removed to obtain slices one centimeter thick, after which each slice must be cut into thick strips. The guanciale is placed over low heat until the fat becomes shiny.

On the side, work the egg yolks with the pecorino and black pepper to form a stiff cream, to which add a couple of spoonsful of the bacon fat. The cream is almost ready: the only thing missing is a little cooking water from the unsalted pasta, to ensure that the yolks are pasteurized, and the cream becomes softer.

The pasta cooking water shouldn’t be too salty because the sauce already is. Meanwhile, the guanciale must be removed from the pan because it is here that the pasta is drained a little before the tooth is cooked, adding a drop of the pasta cooking water.

Once cooked, the cream is added, mixing with the heat off (and not continuing to cook) to finish with the guanciale once the pasta has been served. To garnish, pecorino cheese and black pepper.

The secrets for a good carbonara

The secret to the success of a carbonara lies in the choice of ingredients. According to the original recipe, we start with the guanciale, which should be cut into strips that are neither too thin nor too thick.

We then move on to the eggs, of which it is important to use only fresh egg yolks (one each for each diner, plus one for the pan).

Then the cheese: no Grana or Parmesan, the real carbonara requires Pecorino Romano DOP, black pepper, better if in grains and freshly ground.