Spaghetti alla Carbonara

One of the favorite weeknight dinners of my childhood (or "emergency dinners," as my mom would call them), this extremely simple pasta dish is a staple in my culinary arsenal. Whenever I think there is nothing left in my fridge, there's always a couple of eggs, the end of a piece of cheese and a bit of bacon, which makes spaghetti alla carbonara a hero of a dish. Even further proof that carbonara is awesome is the fact that it is both easy to make and easy on the wallet.

I did some research, and what I found was interesting (and slightly confusing), so I thought I'd share. Carbonara seems to be one of those dishes that is pretty widespread, yet we don't really know where it comes from, and its origins are surprisingly contentious (weird, right?). You can read about it here in depth. The general consensus is that it is a Roman dish, and it has something to do with either coal or coal miners (carbonara is a derivative of the word carbonai which means charcoal in Italian). The dish got its name either because coalminers invented the dish, or because the black pepper sprinkled on top resembles coal dust. 
A less popular theory is that, during WWII, American GIs in Italy asked local cooks to create a meal for them out of their rations of bacon and eggs. While this is a really nice story, it has been discredited for a bunch of reasons, including the fact that it doesn't explain the name, Italians remember eating carbonara before the war, and that it is traditionally made with guanciale, an Italian cured meat made from pork jowl, not bacon. However, some argue that pancetta is the correct choice, and bacon is a perfectly acceptable substitute. I reeeeally like the idea of breakfast (re: bacon and eggs) reincarnated into a pasta dish, so I use regular ol' American bacon.

Another big choice you have to make is what cheese you're going to use, parmigiano or pecorino? There is some passionate debate on this subject, with some people vehemently opposing one in favor of the other, and others insisting you need a combination of the two for a truly authentic carbonara. I prefer pecorino for its extra punchy taste, but who are we kidding? Both options are excellent, and most of the time I let the fridge gods decide what goes into my carbonara.

Here is my ideal carbonara recipe, for those times when the fridge gods bestow their good will on me. I hope you like it!

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Kitchen Soundtrack: Wolfmother - Wolfmother

Enough for 2 

Ingredients:

• 70g or about 2 cups pecorino romano, finely grated on a rasp
• 2 large eggs
• 60ml or 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• freshly ground black pepper
• 125g or 5 slices bacon, lean as you can find
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, smashed and skins removed
• ½ medium onion, diced ¼ inch square
• 3-4 sage leaves, very thinly sliced (julienne)
• about ½ cup reserved pasta cooking water
• 225g or ½ lb spaghetti

Method:

1. Let the eggs soak in a bowl of hot water to temper them. Grate the cheese.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil (for the pasta). Season generously with salt.
3. Preheat a 12 inch skillet over medium-low. Cut the bacon into ½ inch wide pieces and drop them in the skillet. Cook the bacon until most of its fat has rendered. Add the garlic cloves and fry until golden, then remove. Start cooking the spaghetti to al dente.
4. Turn heat to medium and add the onion to the bacon, cook, stirring often, until mostly translucent. Add sage and cook until fragrant.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until blended. Add most of the cheese, the olive oil, and about ¼ tsp of pepper, stir until blended.
6. Just before the pasta is finished cooking, use a mug or a liquid measuring cup to remove some of the starchy pasta water. Drain the pasta. Slowly pour the reserved pasta water into the eggs, whisking constantly to avoid scrambling them. This will help the eggs transform into a creamy sauce that sticks to the spaghetti without scrambling.
7. Add the spaghetti to the skillet and give it a good mix. Off heat, pour the egg mixture over the pasta and stir vigorously until the pasta is coated in a velvety sauce. This should happen pretty quickly, within a minute or so. Serve immediately and top with the extra cheese and plenty of black pepper.

PS. Another point of conflict with this dish: some people put cream in their carbonara, but its not traditional and its definitely not necessary. The gently cooked eggs will make the dish taste creamy without being heavy.