A Classic Any Way You Cook It
By Dara O’Brien
Creative Director, Lake Isle Press
My friend, Paula, is a great cook. So good, in fact, that she opened a restaurant some years back. Although she is from the South, her restaurant served Italian food, and it was in a New Jersey town just across the river from New York City. I first went there with a crowd of our friends soon after she opened and we had a whale of a time. I still remember what I ordered: rigatoni carbonara.
It's a dish I had never tried, and since back then I was a much more tentative eater than I am now I’m not sure why I ordered it. It might be because carbonara is basically a breakfast sandwich in pasta form, so it’s a pretty safe bet.
After trying Paula’s version, which was amazing, I became a carbonara fan. But I figured it was something only a chef of her caliber could pull off, so I never tried to make it myself. Flash forward many years and a lot more experience in the kitchen: I now trust my culinary skills enough to give carbonara a try.
Google “the perfect carbonara” and you’ll get 16 million results, with the words “ultimate” “scientific” and “authentic” prominently featured in the top hits. The New York Times notes that carbonara “inspires strong, almost religious, passions.” Stanley Tucci said it’s his favorite Italian dish—and he’d never order it outside of Italy. And New Yorker writer Calvin Trillin has long campaigned for it to replace turkey as the national Thanksgiving dish.
For all the fuss, this stuff of legend is actually a simple meal. A basic carbonara is egg, cheese, pork, salt, pepper, and pasta. It contains no extras, like onions, garlic, veggies, or herbs. The pork should be guanciale (pork cheeks) and the cheese should be pecorino Romano. The pasta should be spaghetti. Traditionalists can be pretty adamant about the proper ingredients; there was a small international incident when a French chef posted a version online that included farfalle and cream—two no-nos.
The better the ingredients the better the meal, and that’s certainly true for any carbonara. But even if you break the rules and make it with what you have on hand like I just did—using supermarket pasta, bacon, and grated parmesan cheese—it’s going to be pretty damn good.
Every carbonara chef, from purist to apostate, agrees on one thing, though: it’s a meal that should be eaten immediately—carbonara is at its best fresh off the heat. Since on my maiden voyage I was planning the meal for myself alone, I chose a recipe that was created for a single serving: Spaghetti alla Carbonara from “Serves One” by Toni Lydecker, published by Lake Isle Press.
Toni’s carbonara departs from the classic by using pancetta and Parmigiano-Reggiano. She also adds shallots, wine, and parsley. I followed her blueprint with further substitutions, because I wanted to try it with ingredients I already had on hand, including bacon, parmesan cheese, and vermouth. I also substituted peas for parsley and added a little reserved pasta water at the end. The result was terrific.
When I make a carbonara with the good stuff it will be even better, for sure. But for a fast pantry meal scaled to one, this recipe does the trick. Maybe not perfect, but carbonara is not just legendary, but forgiving.
Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Click here for printable recipe.
Makes 1 serving
Prep: 10 minutes. |. Cook: 12 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
1 heaping teaspoon salt
3 ounces spaghetti or linguine
2 teaspoons butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot or onion
½ thick slice pancetta, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon white wine or vermouth (optional)
PREPARATION
With a fork, beat the egg yolk in a shallow soup/pasta bowl. Whisk in the parsley and half of the Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Combine 6 cups water and the salt in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti, stirring to submerge and separate the strands.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and pancetta and cook, stirring often, until they turn golden but not brown. Add the wine and cook, stirring, until it has almost evaporated. Remove from the heat.
When the pasta is al dente, drain and immediately turn it into the bowl with the egg mixture, lifting and turning the strands with a fork until coated. Mix in the shallot-pancetta mixture, and sprinkle with the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano.
VARIATION
Omit the parsley and add ¼ cup fresh or frozen peas to the pasta water during the final 2 minutes of cooking.
Recipe from “Serves One” by Toni Lydecker, Lake Isle Press, 2005
