I have been after my wife for years to make pasta Carbonara and today she made her first attempt. Unfortunately the eggs weren't tempered enough and they scrambled although in tiny bits. Very good for first attempt. Would love to see more recipes

I have NOT tried this recipe yet, but, ATK usually has the best recipes on the planet:

Video: http://www.americastestkitchen.com/videos/2667-foolproof-spaghetti-carbonara

Spaghetti Carbonara is probably my favorite pasta dish.

However it must be made right. The timing is everything when making this dish.......otherwise you will windup with a spaghetti and bacon/pancetta omelette!

Thanks for your input. She is a great Italian cook so is determined to do it again.

ASTA CARBONARA
1 kilo pasta, round or flat,1/2 cup butter,1 tbsp. garlic, minced,1/4 cup white onion, finely chopped,1/2 kilo chicken fillet, cut into small cubes,1/4 kilo sweet ham, sliced in small squares,2 cans Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup,1 can of all-purpose cream dried oregano salt pepper
Cook pasta based on instructions. Set aside
Melt butter in a large sauce pan over low heat.
Saute garlic and onion.
Add chicken and ham. Cook for about 5 minutes.

That's a curious recipe. I've never heard of anything called "carbonara" that has chicken. Pancetta, definitely. Bacon, possibly, if pancetta isn't available.

But chicken?

It might be tasty, but it's not really carbonara anymore. At least, not IMO.


Signor V.

Chicken? That is a new one on me. The best dish of pasta carbonara I had was right outside Rome in Tivoli.

When you make it, you cannot cheat. You have to use real pancetta and good wuality cheese, and a mixture of whole milk and half and half. Timing is everything.

The big thing is to undercook the pasta just a bit because it will keep cooking when you mix it in with the carbonara ingredients. If you do it right, it will be served al dente...overcooked pasta can ruin an otheriwse fine carbonara, and that's my trick.

Thanks everyone- we will try them out

I remember seeing a cooking show on TV a number of years ago where they said that the only ingredients should be pancetta, eggs, grated cheese and freshly ground black pepper. Nothing else. No cream, half-and-half, red pepper flakes or anything like that. This was supposed to be the "authentic" pasta carbonara.

However, I will confess to using cream, as well as both red pepper flakes and freshly ground black pepper.

I also remember an episode of Lidia Bastianich's cooking show in which she explained that the red pepper flakes were not originally native to Italy, and therefore, the pepper should be black.

Interesting...


Signor V.

you are absolutely right, SV. That's the way they make it in Italy. No cream, no peas, just pancetta, egg and grated cheese, maybe black pepper.