Nicolò's Carbonara
Nicolò's Carbonara
On one of our first dates, Nicolò invited me over to his apartment for carbonara. Although it quickly became apparent that carbonara was his one and only signature dish, I was nevertheless very impressed. I have to admit that before meeting Nicolò I was one of those people who put cream in their carbonara, convinced that it was the only way to get a creamy consistency. I couldn’t have been more wrong!
Carbonara, like Nicolò, originated in Rome. Some people say it was inspired by the bacon that was brought over by American soldiers during the Second World War. In Rome, carbonara is made with guanciale (pork cheek), but if you can’t find it you can opt for pancetta instead. Similarly, if you can’t find pecorino cheese you could use parmesan.
This is the perfect comfort dish and is super easy to make. Just make sure you take the pan off the heat before adding the eggs, and toss quickly, to avoid a scrambled egg situation. If you want to cook this for more people, add an extra egg yolk and 100g of spaghetti per person. You can also use any other type of pasta you like instead of spaghetti.
Serves 2
Ingredients
200g spaghetti
1 egg plus 2 egg yolks
½ cup pecorino cheese, finely grated
80g guanciale, chopped into small pieces
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Method
Beat the eggs in a bowl then add the finely grated pecorino cheese and season well with salt and pepper.
Place a large pot of salted water on to boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan and cook the guanciale over a medium-high heat until it starts to get crispy, about 5 minutes.
Drain the spaghetti, reserving some of the cooking water, and add to the pan with the guanciale. Add a splash of the cooking water and toss well.
Remove from the heat and pour in the egg mixture. Toss well, adding some more cooking water if needed, until it’s lovely and glossy.
Serve immediately topped with some more grated pecorino and a generous amount of cracked black pepper.
