L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2018 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES I taly is always associated with pasta so I thought I'd write about one of it's its most ce- lebrated pasta dishes, which is a traditional Roman recipe, and often made incorrectly around the world. I'll confess that for many years I was making this recipe all wrong.  While I will frequently rave about my mother's cooking and her wonderful recipes, I am sorry to say that her Carbonara wasn't at all tra- ditional.  It was good (we loved it)... but it would have made Romans turn their nose up, if presented with the list of ingredients.  When I moved to Rome from Tuscany, I made it a priority to perfect my Carbonara. I asked chefs, cooks, nonnas, friends (just about everyone, actually) how they made it and I realised that, although everyone may change the quantity of each base ingredient, they usually never change. Variations to carbonara should never be accepted and if you do decide to add garlic, leeks, peas, mushrooms, parsley or (God forbid) cream, please give your pasta dish another name.   The origins of Carbonara are a little confusing and contentious with two main stories being told to- day. The first is that Carbonara was brought to Lazio from Umbria by coal men (carbonari), who came to sell charcoal to the Romans. In- terestingly though, the recipe for Carbonara can't be found documen- ted before WWII. It was first writ- ten around 1950 when it was de- scribed in an Italian newspaper as a dish prepared for the American soldiers after the liberation of Rome in 1944. Apparently, many Italians were eating the eggs and bacon sup- plied by American troops. The only ingredients you will need to make an authentic spaghetti Carbonara are Pecorino Romano DOP, free range eggs, guanciale, freshly cracked black pepper and good quality spaghetti. Pecorino Romano is a hard, salty cheese made from sheep's milk and is one of Italy's oldest cheeses. The name derives from the word 'pecora' which is the Ita- lian word for sheep. The second part of the name most probably co- mes from the historical origins of the cheese in Ancient Rome. To- day though, Pecorino Romano is produced not only in the region of Lazio, but mostly in Sardegna and also in Tuscany. The sharp, salty taste depends on the aging period, which varies from five months to eight months or more. It is when it has matured for eight months that it is ready as a grating cheese, although a twelve month maturation is best for a rich, flavorful Pecorino Romano perfect for traditional Roman pasta recipes. Do not confuse Pecorino Ro- mano with a pecorino Toscano or pecorino Sardo. These cheeses are not very salty and are usually eaten by themselves. In the United Sta- tes, you may find a "Romano cheese," but this isn't the Italian Pe- corino Romano, made in Italy and protected by the laws of the Euro- pean Union. Moreover, the Ameri- can Romano cheese is made from cow's milk, and not sheep's milk. The next important ingredient for any Carbonara is guanciale. The word guanciale comes from "guan- cia," which in Italian means "cheek." Guanciale is cured pork jowl or cheek: rubbed with a mix- ture of salt, sugar and spices (black pepper, thyme and sometimes fen- nel), it is then cured for at least 3 months. When using guanciale in cooking, the hard pork skin is re- moved and some chefs also remove the side that has all the salt, peppers and spices on it. I like to leave some of this, as I feel it adds flavor to my pasta dishes. Guanciale is charac- terised by a thin layer of lean meat surrounded by a thicker one of fat on both sides.If the outer part of the fat has turned a little yellow in co- lor, this should be removed and not used. Guanciale is cut into cubes or pieces and is cooked in a frying pan on a low heat. The fat is rendered, while the guanciale becomes golden and crispy. If you can't find guan- ciale, you can use pancetta and, fai- ling that, I'll allow you to use bacon. I would strongly suggest you try to find guanciale though because the flavor marries so well with Peco- rino Romano and gives you a ge- nuine Carbonara. Finally, please use the freshest free-range eggs you can find, and good quality black pepper. Use whole pepper-corns and grind the pepper only when it is required. I can't finish without a quick mention to the pasta. Look for a dry pasta that has been pressed th- rough a bronze extruder. This is done slowly and at low tempera- tures which is what gives the pasta its rough surface – perfect to soak up and retain all kinds of sauces. I suggest spending a little more to buy a good quality spaghetti. Using good quality pasta makes this dish anything but ordinary, and paying a little extra on a spe- cialty brand will take your recipes to a whole new  professional di- mension.  Making spaghetti Carbonara isn't difficult and, I'm happy to say, TONI BRANCATISANO I'd be happy to make my Carbo- nara to any Roman without breaking out in a sweat and having an anxiety attack. I promise you that, if made correc- tly, spaghetti Carbonara will leave you wanting to lick the bowl and break out singing, "That's Amore"! Spaghetti alla Carbonara (for 2 generous portions) ■ 250g spaghetti ■ 200g guanciale ■ 1 egg + 2 egg yolks ■ 250g finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese ■ Black pepper (choose a good quality Black Pepper) freshly cracked. Directions 1. Bring a large saucepan of barely salted water to a rolling boil, add pasta and cook respecting cooking times written on the packet, until it is "al dente." 2. Remove the thick skin from the guanciale with a sharp knife. Remove any hard, dried parts on the side with the pepper and spices. Cut guanciale into cubes.  Add to a large frying pan and fry over a low heat until it is crisp and gol- den. Turn off heat, and remove some of the guanciale to use as garnish later. 3. In a separate bowl, beat the egg and yolks with 200g of the fre- shly grated Pecorino Romano and a generous dose of cracked black pepper. It won't be liquid, resem- bling more an egg and cheese pa- ste. 4. Drain the pasta when ready and then return the it to the sauce- pan. Add the guanciale and all the fat, and stir well. 5. Ensuring the saucepan is away from the heat, add the egg and cheese mixture and stir vigo- rously.  The heat from the pasta will cook the egg, and the cheese and egg mixture should become a luxurious and creamy coating for your pasta.  *DO NOT stir in egg mix with saucepan over the heat otherwise it will result in a very ugly scrambled egg pasta. 6. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of freshly grated Pecorino, and a little extra cracked black pep- per. Buon Appetito! The only ingredients you need to make a good Carbonara are Pecorino Romano, free range eggs, guanciale and good pasta. Photo: Toni Brancatisano Guanciale is an essential ingredient for Carbonara. If you can find it, pan- cetta could do, too. Photo: Toni Brancatisano Carbonara: one recipe, so many stories

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