Italy – Carbonara

by Umer Butt

ABOUT THE DISH

Italy is famous for many of its cuisines and there are some dishes which takes you to the heart of Italy. It gets recognized through these dishes and this shows how much these dishes meant to the people and how much history it stores inside it. Pasta is one of the best things to eat in all of Italy. Just like Pizza it is famous throughout the Italian region and also now all over the world. The best pasta dish ever made in Italy is Carbonara. It is a pasta dish which is made by adding finely cooked pieces of Guanciale together with a creamy sauce of egg yolks and then finished off by adding cooked pasta. To make it more pleasant grated cheese is also added over it which gives out more flavor. The incredible taste and beautiful texture of this dish makes it so worthwhile to eat and enjoy. There are many restaurants in Italy which sell the authentic version of this pasta and the taste is so delicious that it attracts people towards it. Pasta is like a household dish there. People usually make it for a get together and enjoy it with their loved ones. It requires only a few ingredients yet it can easily become a mess while making it. The sauce which is an essential part to this dish can be over whipped so it loses its texture. The ingredients used in it are already very salty so to balance out the saltiness requires a quite bit of skill which cannot be mastered overnight. On the other hand once you make it properly it is one of the nicest feelings and the taste is so overwhelming that you want to eat it again and again.

ORIGIN

Pasta is one the best dishes to eat in Italy and it only makes sense for it to have a rich history behind it. Pasta is said to be originated in Lazio and some believe it was first made in Rome but there is no way of proving them both right so we live on with the information we have. The year it was first made is also not known but there was a dish which was mentioned in Ippolito Cavalcanti’s Neapolitan cookbook in1839 which showed resemblance to this dish. That dish was made with melted lards , beaten raw eggs and cheese. Other then this some researchers also speculated that this dish is a pre world war 2 dish so it dates way back.

ORIGIN OF NAME AND HISTORY

The name Carbonara is not old it is relatively more newer than the dish itself. It is derived from the word carbonaro which means “coal burner“. This may speculate that this dish was made by coal miners who used to stay out all year for work. It is said because of the local ingredients used in it this made it easy for them to afford it and have a meal which could help them move forward. In other parts of the world this word was given meaning as “coal miners spaghettis” . It is also said that this dish was made as a tribute to the “charcoalmen” secret society which was made in 1930 at the early stages of Italian unification. After the second world war the name carbonara was listed and it was in 1950 it was listed after this dish was mentioned in a newspaper . It said that it was made during the Allied Liberation Of Rome in 1944 by the American officers which brought their own ingredients. This was the first mention of this dish before it became famous and the rest is history.

DIFFERENT VARIATIONS

Carbonara can be made with various styles and all of them give a great taste. Some of its variations are as follows.

• SMOKED GOUDA CARBONARA: In this carbonara an smoked gouda cheese is used to give it a smoky flavor.

• SPINACH CARBONARA WITH BACON : Many people tend to eat with bacon but the addition of spinach just balance outs the saltiness.

• TOMATO CARBONARA: This is a new favorite carbonara as in the earlier times tomatoes were not introduced in the Italian region but now they are often used in many dishes and this carbonara is made and mixed with a delicious tomato sauce.

• FUSILLI CARBONARA: This carbonara is made with fine herbs like tarragon , chives and parsley.

• LINGUINE CARBONARA : This uses similar ingredients and is famous worldwide. Difference in it is that it is more creamier.

INGREDIENTS REQUIRED TO MAKE IT

• Spaghetti 1/2 Pound

• Guanciale 1/2 Pound (diced)

• Egg yolks 4

• Parmesan Cheese 1/2 Cup

• Pecorino Cheese 1/4 Cup

• Salt

• Black pepper 1 1/2 Tbsp

STEPS TO MAKE IT

• In order to make this dish you need to firstly cut the guanciale into cubes.
• Once done then take a pan on a medium heat and add the cubes in it.
• Add some pepper over it.
• Cook it for 5 minutes until all the fat is cooked and a brown color is formed.
• Once done take it off the pan and let it rest.
• Take a bowl and add hot water in it.
• Take your spaghettis and add it into the bowl.
• It will take about 2-3 minutes before it is cooked so meanwhile you can make the sauce.
• For the sauce take a bowl and add 4 egg yolks in it.
• Also grate both the cheeses.
• Add the grated cheese in the egg yolk bowl.
• Mix it until a creamy texture is obtained.
• Add some salt in the mixture as well.
• Once the sauce is done set it aside.
• Take out the cooked speghetti and add it into the sauce bowl.
• Mix them well and then add the cooked guanciale in the same bowl.
• Toss them and mix them well.
• Plate the pasta and then lastly sprinkle some cheese over the pasta.
• Your dish is ready.
• Enjoy.

TIME NEEDED TO MAKE IT

PREPERATION TIME : 10 minutes
COOKING TIME : 15 minutes
TOTAL TIME : 25 minutes
YIELDS : 2 servings

NUTRITION FACTS

Calories 1008
Total Fat 31g
Cholesterol 184mg
Total Carbohydrates 131g
Sugars 3g
Protein 45g
Sodium 970mg
Potassium 370mg