# Carbonara, recipe from Rome, Italy



## ragno nero cuocet (Mar 19, 2013)

Hi all!

I am an italian amateur cook from Rome, Italy.

I want to learn English, so I have decided to start writing here some italian recipes to check my English level...

I'll show to anyone 100% original italian recipes and I'll try to reply to all your questions, so I hope you'll correct my mistakes...

I want to start with the number 1 typical Roman recpie: CARBONARA!

4 persons

400gr italian pasta (I prefer "mezze maniche", but this kind of dish is usually prepared with "spaghetti")

150gr. guanciale (You'll read a lot of recipes where someone uses bacon: THIS IS ABSOLUTELY WRONG!!! Never try this @ home...)

pepper

100gr. pecorino (as for guanciale and bacon, NEVER USE PARMIGIANO: the pecorino's flavour is stronger, and it highlliths guanciale!)

5 eggs (4 egg yolks and 1 entire)


1 Take a pot and put inside wather, and start to heat it
2 Take the guanciale, slice it to obtain 5x1 cm pieces, put it in a large pan and start to heat it. Never use oil! Guanciale will become transparent and will release self-produced oil when it will be cooked! Fire have to be high and guanciale have be crisp!
3 Take the eggs (yolks and the entire) and start to shake it in a small container. You have to shake eggs for 5 minutes: it will be prepared when you start to see little bubbles all over the cream wink 
4 Add pecorino, pepper to the obtained cream and continue to shake for 5 minutes. The result does not have lumps! It should appear as a cream! You can use a mixer to do it.
5 Add guanciale (with the obtained oil) to the cream and mix slowly with a spoon.
6 Put pasta in the wather (wather have to boli!!!). Take pasta very "al dente", drain pasta and put it in the cream container.

Start to mix pasta and cream for 3 minutes: don't worry if, at the start of this operation, cream will remain on the bottom of the container! If you mix it for 3/5 minutes, taking the cream from bottom to top with a spoon and a fork, it will fix to pasta in a perfect way! 

Tip: NEVER TRY THIS OPERATION ON THE FLAME! It will be accompished with no other heat source than the pasta! We wont to obtain a carbonara, not pasta and omelette...

This will be the result! If you want, you can add pepper and pecorino to exalt a little more the indistinguishable carbonara flavour.

Do not be stingy with pepper!!!

I hope you enjoy!

PS: my English is terrible...
PPS: I'll try to answer to all your questions!
PPPS: I hope to put picture ASAP to show you all these steps.


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## ragno nero cuocet (Mar 19, 2013)

°ç§*éç*ç**°ç*ç°##§ÆÆ}§>{§>}

I have done a terrible mistake....

Italian word "GUANCIALE" have 2 different translations...

PILLOW and GUANCIALE...

Never try to put any pillow on carbonara...

AAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH


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## CraigC (Mar 19, 2013)

Most folks in the US will have better access to pancetta than guanciale. We make our carbonara with pancetta and parmesan. There are as many "traditional" recipes for this dish as there are nonnas! BTW, welcome to DC.


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## ragno nero cuocet (Mar 19, 2013)

Hi CraigC, ty for reply!

I didn't know that in US guanciale was not so easy to buy.

For pecorino is the same?

I have cooked a lot of times carbonara, trying each time to change something (parmigiano instead of pecorino, or parmigiano and pecorino together, pancetta intstead of guanciale) but IMHO I thing that guanciale+pecorino is the best way to obtain a perfect dish.

But the essence of carbonara is that the cream have to be fixed to the pasta: to do this, the only way is to mix without any other heat source than the pasta itself. Otherwise, the egg become cooked and white, as an omelette...

PS: was my English ok?
PPS: what does "nonnas" means?


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## CharlieD (Mar 19, 2013)

Welcome to DC your English could not be possible any worse than mine, so you are ok. As far as "guanciale" what is it?


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## Andy M. (Mar 19, 2013)

Nonna is a grandmother

Guanciale is meat from the pig's cheek that is cured like bacon and pancetta.  It's not smoked.


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## ragno nero cuocet (Mar 19, 2013)

This is guanciale:







This is pancetta:






This is "Lardo di colonnata":






As you can see, the % of "fat" (is fat right?) change.

Guanciale is used to cook amatriciana or carbonara sauce, but often in Italy we use pancetta for the same sauces.

I prefer guanciale, cause its flavour is a little bit "gentle". And I prefer pecorino to parmigiano, cause pecorino's flavour is stronger!

Instead, "lardo di colonnata" is often grilled with some pieces of bread, and never used to cook pasta.


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## CharlieD (Mar 19, 2013)

So,let me ask you a question if i cannot use any of the meat products can I just use some oil?


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## ragno nero cuocet (Mar 19, 2013)

So which product you want to use?

Bacon?


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## CharlieD (Mar 19, 2013)

No meat, none of any kind.


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## ragno nero cuocet (Mar 19, 2013)

There are a lot of variety of carbonara sauce, but the most famous is with guanciale.

If you have not this product, you can proceed by using zucchini!

The process is exactly the same.

You have to chop 2 medium zucchini to obtain little pieces (5x1cm approximately), put these pieces into a large pan with a little bit of oil (just a spoon or 2) and cook it over high heat. After 5/7 minutes (when the oil is very hot), you can put in the pan a glass of wather or a glass of white wine (preferred), until it evaporate, to complete the process.

Zucchini takes more time to be perfectly prepared (I think 15 min.): the result have to be crisp!

Than, you can add this to the cream made of eggs, pecorino and pepper.

The result is fantastic.

You can also use mushrooms or eggplant.

If you are a brave man, you can make "fish carbonara", using shrimps, squids, clams and 
mussels! Just cook together all these ingredients and proceed as for zucchini (2 spoon of oil and, after 7 min a glass of white wine).

Remember to clean the fish before start cooking!

TY for your question!


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## jennyema (Mar 19, 2013)

Zuccini isn't a substitute for the pork product in carbonara.

Its just something you can add to the dish if you'd like to.

Use a little olive oil or butter instead of the pork


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## ragno nero cuocet (Mar 19, 2013)

So I think I does not understood the question.

Are you searching for a product that should replace the meat (guanciale or pancetta)?

In this case, I swear on my name that I have cooked a lot of times carbonara with no pork product, by using only zucchini, or mushrooms, or varios types of fish. 

The result was very different from original carbonara, but always good!


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## CraigC (Mar 19, 2013)

ragno nero cuocet said:


> Hi CraigC, ty for reply!
> 
> I didn't know that in US guanciale was not so easy to buy.
> 
> ...


 
I'm not even sure we can get the same pancetta that you get in Rome. The Prosciutto de Parma or San Daniele that is imported here from Italy, has to be cured longer than it is for your market. I've been to Italy several times and can tell the taste difference. Cheese we can get the same. I believe most pecorino is called romano or pecorino romano here.

We have a dish called Penne ala Vodka, which I believe is an Italian-American dish with no claims to originating in Italy. Do you know this dish?


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## Kayelle (Mar 19, 2013)

ragno nero cuocet said:


> Hi all!
> 
> I am an italian amateur cook from Rome, Italy.
> 
> ...



*Thanks so much for your recipe and welcome to Discuss Cooking!

To help you a little with your English, it would be better for you to substitute the word mixture for the word cream in the text of your recipe where I have indicated. The novice cook would be confused by the word cream rather than mixture, since the recipe has no dairy other than the cheese. 
Again, it's a pleasure to have you here....

 
*


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## Oldvine (Mar 19, 2013)

Yes, the English is great.  Much better than my Italian which does not exist.  
For Charlie..In your kitchen you are the boss.  You can make any changes to any recipe, realizing of course, that it's a new recipe.


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## Rocklobster (Mar 19, 2013)

Ciao ragno!

Welcome! I lived in Frosinone for a few years. Your recipe is a classic version. Over the years, us North Americans have made it with many variations depending on the availability of ingredients, and to suit our tastes. I have made it like your recipe many times but I have also changed my recipe to suit my tastes over time.

Hope you enjoy it here...


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## no mayonnaise (Mar 19, 2013)

I just make my carbonara without meat and sub in olive oil.  for me it's all about the eggs, cheese, and black pepper


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## pacanis (Mar 19, 2013)

ragno nero cuocet said:


> There are a lot of variety of carbonara sauce, but the most famous is with guanciale.
> 
> If you have not this product, you can proceed by using zucchini!
> 
> ...


 
That sounds like a nice variation with the zucchini


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## ragno nero cuocet (Mar 19, 2013)

I love you all!

I'm very happy to receive all these answers!!! In this way I can learn English!!!

But it's 1:31 AM in Rome... So i'll answer in a few hours, when I'll stay at work...

Ty so much!!!


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## buckytom (Mar 19, 2013)

welcome, ragno. great recipe, much like your english. 

i've had locally made guanciale (made by italian americans here in the suburbs of nyc) and you're right; it is fantastic!

and yes, peccorino romano is certainly a step above regular parmesan in sharpness and flavour.

now, if i could only get my hands on freshly made buffala di mozzarella, i'd be in heaven. just 2 days later, and it's not the same thing. all of the subtle sweetness is gone.

can i ask you for your recipe for fresh pastas? for a basic sugo di pomodoro and the like?

ti ringrazio anticipatamente.


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## PhilinYuma (Mar 20, 2013)

Welcome ragno nero cuocet! What does that mean, by the way. Ragno nero could mean a "black widow" spider which is very common in my area, and coucet -- cook?
This is a splendid recipe. Here in the US, we take excellent regional recipes like yours and use substitutes until they are unrecognizable. Pork jowl -- guancial -- is available on the internet and at any food specialty store in the US. My BGD returns to my small Southwestern town next month, and we shall take a 1/2 hr drive and buy some.   
In case you didn't grasp the concept, Charlie D is asking you how to prepare your pork dish without pork. A strict vegetarian will not be able to eat the eggs either! Don't feel bad, though; we recently had a discussion on how to make fish sauce without fermented fish! 
I have copied off your recipe and stuck it in an Italian cookbook. Thanks again.
Cheers


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## ragno nero cuocet (Mar 20, 2013)

@CraigC
I know "pennette alla vodka" dish, it's very easy to make! I'll post the receipe ASAP if you want!
You're welcome!

@buckytom
Also in Italy, not all the market sell a good "mozzarella di bufala": commercial product are completely different from home made ones.
The real taste of this kind of mozzarella have to be felt at Naples: there you will find the real one!
But near Rome, in the castles zone, there are also a lot of little sellers that produces nice mozzarellas, using fantastic raw materials...

I'll post ASAP both the recpies. Please give me just a couple of hours!

PS: fresh pastas, you mean something like this?







@PhilinYuma

My original nick was "ragno nero docet".

"Ragno nero" is the italian part of the nick, and it means "black spider", in honor to Lev Yashin, a legendary russian goalkeeper. 
"Docet" is a latin word, it means "teach".

In this case, I have modified the last word. "Cuocet" is simply a funny Latin neologism: "Cuoce", in Italian, means "Cook"... 

"We recently had a discussion on how to make fish sauce without fermented fish!"

!!!!!!!

"I have copied off your recipe and stuck it in an Italian cookbook."

I'm really honored.


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## Bolas De Fraile (Mar 20, 2013)

Lev Yashin how old are you? do you remember ll gigante buono?


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## ragno nero cuocet (Mar 20, 2013)

Football is one of my passion, as cooking...

I'm an amateur goalkeeper, I'm 30 yo, and so I've never seen Lev playing football.

But I've read a lot about him, when I was 13, and he became my idol!


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## Bolas De Fraile (Mar 20, 2013)

I'm a scouser and a Liverpool FC fan, are you a Lazio fan?


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## ragno nero cuocet (Mar 20, 2013)

Bolas De Fraile said:


> I'm a scouser and a Liverpool FC fan, are you a Lazio fan?



If you want to be my frend (and I want to be your friend!) never say that I'm a Lazio fan....

There's only a soccer team in Rome: its name is "AS ROMA".

And there's only a man in Rome: his name is FRANCESCO TOTTI...

Never forget...


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Mar 20, 2013)

CharlieD said:


> No meat, none of any kind.



You could use Bacos brand bacon bits, as they are made from flavored TVP (Textured Vegetable Protien, usually soy).  That would give you a similar flavor, but you would loose the richness of the pork fat flavor.  I think I'd also add some butter to add that rich flavor.

It wouldn't be authentic, but would taste pretty good.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## taxlady (Mar 20, 2013)

Chief Longwind Of The North said:


> You could use Bacos brand bacon bits, as they are made from flavored TVP (Textured Vegetable Protien, usually soy).  That would give you a similar flavor, but you would loose the richness of the pork fat flavor.  I think I'd also add some butter to add that rich flavor.
> 
> It wouldn't be authentic, but would taste pretty good.
> 
> Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


Wouldn't it also have strange pink streaks from the food colouring in the baco bits?


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## Bolas De Fraile (Mar 21, 2013)

ragno nero cuocet said:


> If you want to be my frend (and I want to be your friend!) never say that I'm a Lazio fan....
> 
> There's only a soccer team in Rome: its name is "AS ROMA".
> 
> ...


I am glad you are not a Lazio fan, this was a beautiful day in Rome.Ian Rush the master.
Liverpool - AS Rom 1984 - YouTube


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## ragno nero cuocet (Mar 21, 2013)

I was 1 yo, but I've seen this match a lot of times in my life.

I should admit that English teams in the last years of 70's and the first ones of 80's was unbeatable (Nottingham Forest, Liverpool, Aston Villa), and that Liverpool was one of the stronger team in the world in 1983.

A great day to remember, and a fantastic match.

You'll never walk alone, my friend!


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## Bolas De Fraile (Mar 21, 2013)

Thank you, I was very impressed with your rugby team(my sport) the Irish are never easy to beat.


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## ragno nero cuocet (Mar 21, 2013)

I was @ the stadium with my girlfriend: she is Italian but she is also an Irish fan...


























For the first time in 13 "Six Nations" we beat Irland! Great match, great agonism, great victory!

And a special mention to Lo Cicero, our best player: the story of Italian rugby.

Honour and respect for him.


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## Kylie1969 (Mar 21, 2013)

Great photos Ragno


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## Bolas De Fraile (Mar 21, 2013)

Great pics, I thought the Papa only drank creme de menthe,I watched him cry as he left the pitch to retire, he was a true bastion of the sport.
My hero was the best no 10 in the world Barry(king) John.
Welsh Rugby - the 70's - Part 1 - YouTube


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## ragno nero cuocet (Mar 21, 2013)

I know him! Great player...


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## Luca Lazzari (Mar 25, 2013)

ragno nero cuocet said:


> ...
> 
> And a special mention to Lo Cicero, our best player: the story of Italian rugby.
> 
> Honour and respect for him.



Grandissimo Barone! Very happy to find an Italian rugby fan like me, in this forum 

To get back on topic, Ragno, do you have some special recipe to make a heavenly Amatriciana?

Grazie mille, e sempre forza Milan


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## ragno nero cuocet (Mar 26, 2013)

My father is a great Milan fan... Every match against AC Milan is a terrible event for my mother...

I have the perfect receipe to make a super Amatriciana!

I'll post it as soon as possible!

TY for the answer!


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## Bolas De Fraile (Mar 26, 2013)

Luca Lazzari said:


> Grandissimo Barone! Very happy to find an Italian rugby fan like me, in this forum
> 
> To get back on topic, Ragno, do you have some special recipe to make a heavenly Amatriciana?
> 
> Grazie mille, e sempre forza Milan


Luca mate for me the beauty of being a rugby fan is that you like Rugby and not a team.That is why the fans are not segregated and you can drink in the stadium without a hint of a problem.


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## ragno nero cuocet (Mar 26, 2013)

You find the perfect way to describe the difference between rugby and other sports.

We are rugby fans, not Italy, or Ireland, or England fans...


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## Luca Lazzari (Mar 26, 2013)

ragno nero cuocet said:


> My father is a great Milan fan... Every match against AC Milan is a terrible event for my mother...







ragno nero cuocet said:


> I have the perfect receipe to make a super Amatriciana!
> 
> I'll post it as soon as possible!
> 
> TY for the answer!



Waiting for it! Thanks ragno nero



Bolas De Fraile said:


> Luca mate for me the beauty of being a rugby fan is that you like Rugby and not a team.That is why the fans are not segregated and you can drink in the stadium without a hint of a problem.



You are ABSOLUTELY right, Bolas! There's no trace of hatred, and that is the right thing!
No hint of a problem, lots of pints of beer...


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## Addie (Mar 26, 2013)

ragno nero cuocet said:


> °ç§*éç*ç**°ç*ç°##§ÆÆ}§>{§>}
> 
> I have done a terrible mistake....
> 
> ...


 
I will make a note of that.


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## ragno nero cuocet (Mar 26, 2013)

Never put a pillow on a heated pan...

Please, never try this @ home...

And never try to slice it!!!


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## CharlieD (Mar 28, 2013)

Chief Longwind Of The North said:


> You could use Bacos brand bacon bits, as they are made from flavored TVP (Textured Vegetable Protien, usually soy).  That would give you a similar flavor, but you would loose the richness of the pork fat flavor.  I think I'd also add some butter to add that rich flavor.
> 
> It wouldn't be authentic, but would taste pretty good.
> 
> Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North



Such is life, have to deal with the dietary restrictions on the daily bases. Thank you. I did not know one can fry those fake bacon bits.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Mar 28, 2013)

CharlieD said:


> Such is life, have to deal with the dietary restrictions on the daily bases. Thank you. I did not know one can fry those fake bacon bits.



Frying wont hurt them, but hopefully, they are simply placed onto the pasta, and the steam and moisture will soften them to a meaty texture.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## CharlieD (Mar 28, 2013)

Thanks


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