Pasta Carbonnara For One

[dragnlaw]

(Note: Not my picture - it's from her blog)

Got this in my in-box yesterday. I really like Carbonnara but don't need recipes for 6 and 8. Joanie from OneDishKitchen has done it again! Can't wait to try it
Pasta Carbonnara for One.
I like that she gives dish sizes, approx sizes of ingredients for ex. the pasta = approx the size of a US quarter. I'm a visual person. Unfortunately the video doesn't seem to work for me.
But for all you single people out there -

 

[caseydog]

View attachment 69781 (Note: Not my picture - it's from her blog)

Got this in my in-box yesterday. I really like Carbonnara but don't need recipes for 6 and 8. Joanie from OneDishKitchen has done it again! Can't wait to try it
Pasta Carbonnara for One.
I like that she gives dish sizes, approx sizes of ingredients for ex. the pasta = approx the size of a US quarter. I'm a visual person. Unfortunately the video doesn't seem to work for me.
But for all you single people out there -

I've made spaghetti carbonara for one many times, and that recipe looks very much the same as how I make it. Yeah, you really need to do your mise en place with carbonara, because the final part of the cook happens pretty fast.

CD

 

[Andy M.]

I make carbonara for one because SO doesn't care for it.

 

[knowledge keeper]

The real joy is in how perfectly these simple ingredients come together. I'm obsessed with this pasta dish!

 

[pictonguy]

Not the greatest recipe imo but I'm sure it will do the trick.

 

[Badjak]

I live by myself and make my own pasta, which I freeze in one person portions.
I've never managed making sauce for 1 though, so I just make more and keep the left overs (or make the base, use what I need etc)

 

[pictonguy]

I live by myself and make my own pasta, which I freeze in one person portions.
I've never managed making sauce for 1 though, so I just make more and keep the left overs (or make the base, use what I need etc)

Yeah, it's difficult to make a single order of carbonara.

 

[dragnlaw]

Well, if anyone has a suggestion on how to make it better or easier, I'm always listening!

 

[pictonguy]

Well, if anyone has a suggestion on how to make it better or easier, I'm always listening!

I didn't mean to discourage you from trying this recipe and I'm sure it will taste fine. There's garlic, bacon, cheese and eggs and nothing wrong with that dragnlaw, most people love those flavors.

When I said it's not the greatest recipe I just meant that it's not what you would find in most good Italian restaurants in NA and definitely not in Italy. For example 1tbsp of parmesan for 1 egg is not anywhere near enough cheese and garlic is never used and parmesan is not used either and the bacon is renedered down to basically bacon bits which is again not how the pork is cooked. The pasta which is always a hard pasta and generally a spaghetti is also slightly cooked past al dente, but this type of interpretation of classic dishes are quite a common occurrence and very acceptable in NA but you have to understand I'm a chef and quite familiar with Italian cuisine so I feel it's important to make these distinctions and like I said, I'm sure it will taste just fine.

 

[caseydog]

I learned to make spaghetti carbonara watching Chef Antonio Carluccio. I use bacon, because guanciale is not available here, unless I drive all over town looking for it in specialty shops. Pancetta is available, but it is basically expensive bacon. I keep good bacon on hand all the time, so why spend money on pancetta for one dish?

I don't add salt to anything I'm making with ParmReg. That and the bacon have enough salt. I don't use garlic, but I'm not opposed to it. The parsley is just a garnish, IMO.

The big controversy in carbonara is the use of cream. That causes fights. I personally don't use it.

I think the OP recipe is close enough to still be called carbonara.

CD

 

[dragnlaw]

Thanks guys. I wasn't really worried too much about it tasting all right. But honestly, although I hadn't gotten around to comparing it with other recipes I do have - there was something there that I found strange - just hadn't figured it out yet.

I have made carbonnara before and you must remember my disaster trying to do an "authentic" one, the one where I searched out and spent extra on the bloody guanciale - only to overcook it. Was terrible.
I'll just use bacon from now on, thank you very much....

What I liked about this recipe was the single serving part. I'm sure when I get around to making it I'll follow the old recipe - and yes, I think I thought the garlic was strange.

 

[taxlady]

I watched these two videos repeatedly to learn to make carbonara. I have adjusted the amounts in the recipes. I don't think either chef has ever actually measured the ingredients. The recipes are below the video, in each case.

The first one is shorter:

 

[caseydog]

Chef Gennaro Contaldo's mentor was Antonio Carluccio, so the recipes should be pretty much the same. They did a great series of show called Two Greedy Italians that was hilarious and informative at the same time.

I love garlic, but it just never crossed my mind to add it to carbonara. I just did what chef Carluccio did in his video.

What surpised me was how easy it was. I was nervous going in. But, I did all my mise en place, and dove right in, following chef Carluccio's instructions, and nothing bad happened.

CD

 

[dragnlaw]

I loved those guys, an absolutely delightful series of video's.

Gennaro went on to do some video's with Jamie Oliver as well.

 

[caseydog]

I loved those guys, an absolutely delightful series of video's.

Gennaro went on to do some video's with Jamie Oliver as well.

Jaime Oliver worked for Gennaro for a few years, and they became friends.

CD

 

[Meryl]

No garlic in Carbonara, just guanciale fried in its own fat.
Pecorino Romano is the correct cheese to use but not easily accessible, so Parmigiano is ok, it's what I use. Pecorino is too salty for my low-sodium diet and doesn't keep well like Parmigiano,which on the other hand, lasts for over a month in the fridge.

 

[Meryl]

I learned to make spaghetti carbonara watching Chef Antonio Carluccio. I use bacon, because guanciale is not available here, unless I drive all over town looking for it in specialty shops. Pancetta is available, but it is basically expensive bacon. I keep good bacon on hand all the time, so why spend money on pancetta for one dish?

I don't add salt to anything I'm making with ParmReg. That and the bacon have enough salt. I don't use garlic, but I'm not opposed to it. The parsley is just a garnish, IMO.

The big controversy in carbonara is the use of cream. That causes fights. I personally don't use it.

I think the OP recipe is close enough to still be called carbonara.

CD

I learned how to make Carbonara while living in London and I had to use bacon because they didn't sell guanciale. I also used creambecause my work colleague who gave me the recipe told me to use it! She was from the Veneto region though, not Lazio.

 

[dragnlaw]

Yeah, guess I should have reversed it and said J Oliver got to do some video's with him, LOL!