Daddy's Carbonara
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Author Notes: I refuse on principle to make pasta with butter (or powdered cheese) for my children. So I respond with this crowd-pleaser and artery-clogger. I prepared this version for my daughter's slumber party, and everyone loved it (even the vegetarian). Quick to prepare and easy to have on hand. Modify quantities and proportions as you will. Note use of complete packages below. I totally prefer American bacon to pancetta for its crispness in this dish. - Eric Liftin
Food52 Review: A good carbonara is not easy to find -- nor, for that matter, to make. We found the silky, rich sauce resulting from generous doses of bacon, egg and cheese totally addictive, and peas are a great addition. We also love the story behind Eric's recipe. After all, feeding one's children is often a necessity that breeds culinary invention. Because one of us (we won't name names) suffers the chronic plight of scrambling her eggs when she makes carbonara, we tempered the egg and cheese mixture by whisking in about 1/2 cup of the hot pasta water before adding the spaghetti. 10 oz. is a whole lotta peas (we're guessing Eric's kids are fans), so feel free to take his advice and modify the proportions. - A&M - A&M
Serves about 6
- 1 pound dried spaghetti
- 1 pound bacon
- 10 ounces frozen peas (1 package)
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup fresh grated parmesan
- black pepper
- Start cooking the pasta (I have long subscribed to the less-water method Harold McGee addresses here).
- Take the bacon out of the package, cold out of the refrigerator, and cut across the slices into 1/2" wide blocks. Cook in a skillet over medium heat, stirring and breaking up the blocks with a wooden spoon.
- Dump the peas into a Pyrex bowl with a little water and microwave 3-4 minutes, until they are warm, stirring halfway through.
- While all the cooking is going on, Mix the egg, parmesan, and pepper (to taste - it's best to use a lot, but for kids, maybe less) in a large bowl. It should have the consistency of thick batter.
- When the pasta is done, drain it quickly. Don't linger, as it's good to capture some of the water. Dump the steaming spaghetti into the egg mixture, and agitate well to cook the egg. Add the bacon with a slotted spoon. Some purists will just empty the skillet into the bowl, but that is too much. Mix in the peas, and you're done. The biggest challenge is to get the bacon and peas mixed in evenly - I recommend steel tongs.
- This recipe is a Wildcard Contest Winner!
Tags: serves a crowd
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4 months ago walkie74
i screwed up and added 1 whole cup, as opposed to half a cup, of pasta water. Hubby didn't complain, though--he seemed to enjoy it. He added red pepper flakes as well as black pepper. I had to substitute raw spinach for the peas, but it was still a hit.
4 months ago Eric Liftin
The Times had a nice article about carbonara just recently: http://nyti.ms/ZZYGKC .
Authenticity is interesting, if elusive. It is alluring to connect back to old traditions. And sometimes authenticity reconnects us with a lost ingredient or technique. But with the explosion of available foods we must make choices and encourage evolution for reasons of health, taste, and sustainability. That said, I agree with @PazzoNico that black pepper is to be applied heavily. It is the symbolic soul of the dish.
4 months ago PazzoNico
True, the origins of the dish aren't really certain. Either way, black pepper is vital in the dish (for whatever reason). It runs along the same lines as Cacio e Pepe and Pasta alla Gricia; minimal ingredients, each playing an important role.
And also, there is usually some type of fat used in the base of the dish to render the pork; olive oil, butter, or lard. And even on the rare occasion, a clove of garlic (whole) is used to flavor the oil and later removed.
4 months ago Greenstuff
Chris is a trusted source on General Cooking
Really interesting discussion. My understanding is that the origins of the dish are lost in history. Is it pasta in the manner of carbon workers? Does pepper symbolize carbon? Are there in fact no written references to the dish before World War II? I'm pretty sure I've never seen a reference to true authenticity but I'd love to see anything people come up with. And pizza with pineapple? Thanks for blaming that one on the Germans, I'd thought it was pseudo-Hawaiian and the fault of some American chain!
4 months ago mboerner
The Germans also put corn on pizza. But they really shouldn't call it pizza since not only are the toppings un-Italian, so is the pizza crust itself. I suppose the Italians would say the same of pizza found in the United States.
4 months ago PazzoNico
@Serena: If you want to be true to authenticity, freshly cracked black pepper is an important ingredient in carbonara; much to the respect of the origin of the name of the dish - "charcoal/carbon worker's pasta". The black pepper is sort of "symbolic" to the name since it looks like ash on the pasta. It goes in the base of the dish and as a garnish to serve, along with the pepper in the guanciale. But again, there are so many variations.
4 months ago mboerner
It's quite a tasty dish. But it really shouldn't be called "carbonara" since it is not. Nor is it pizza when the Germans put pineapple on it. If we want to talk about food, shouldn't we use the terms in their original meaning?
4 months ago Greenstuff
Chris is a trusted source on General Cooking
Even with peas, this is a pretty standard "Americanized" carbonara and a great dish for the night you arrive home from a trip, as well as when you're cooking for kids. And (without the peas) exactly how I learned to make it in Germany 30+ years ago. I admit I was a little surprised when I got to Rome and found how much less meat the chefs used in it there than we do in the US or the Germans did in Germany. But that's another story...
4 months ago Eric Liftin
Serena, I learned it the "traditional" way, too, 25 years ago... but what fun is cooking if we adhere rigidly to tradition? Of course, everything tastes better in Rome, but having had it both ways, I prefer crispy American bacon to guanciale. Peas contribute some freshness, but as I'm putting this forward as a family recipe, the agenda is to incorporate something green. So we get all 5 food groups, protein, grain, vegetables, dairy, and bacon.
4 months ago Serena Palumbo
Eric, I understand your point but I am really traditional when it comes to these recipes. It really is my pet peeve and I apologize if my comment sounded more abrasive then I planned. I have been defending a lot of Italian traditions lately :-)
Guess what, you inspired me and I'll make carbonara tonight!
4 months ago Serena Palumbo
Food 52 you are letting me down. Carbonara with peas? really? how about some garlic cream and onion in it too? This is no carbonara. I have learned to make this pasta sauce in Rome at a restaurant called Il Matriciano and there are only 4 ingredients: eggs (many only put the yolk in but that is way to heavy for my taste) guanciale (or pancetta but even american bacon will do) pecorino and parmigiano. Maybe a touch of black pepper. That's it. Check out this video to see how it is made http://serenapalumbo.com...
5 months ago Muse
Mmmmmm...I love peas, am trying this recipe for dinner tonight...can't wait to eat it!
7 months ago thomasc
made this tonight with whole wheat spaghetti - really excellent, lick the spoon(s) good. Thirded everything to make two nice servings (3 oz peas) - lots of pepper. Found that a good mixing method was to have egg+parm mixture in a small bowl, add pasta to a big bowl, add egg+parm, add bacon and peas, cover large bowl with a plate, hold tight and shake - integrated everything pretty well. enjoyed this a lot!
8 months ago dads carbonara
am trying right away
about 1 year ago Katie
My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this delicious pasta. It was quick and easy to prepare (thanks to a&m for reminding me to temper my eggs) and will be in our weeknight repertoire from this point on. Thank you for a lovely recipe!
over 1 year ago nicci
We made this last night and it was delicious! Cooking for just two people, so I used about 2/3 a package of whole wheat pasta, about 3/4 or so of a package of bacon and 3/4 cup of parmesan, reduced the amount of peas (about 1/2 pound), and used three eggs instead of four (we ended up with a bit too much anyway, which we were then compelled to eat.....). I also sauteed some diced onions and tossed them in with the peas as someone previously suggested, and added a dash of red pepper flakes. All in all, a superb meal for a nice evening in. Thanks for the recipe!!
over 1 year ago ubs2007
Made it tonight. Good recipe -- though I'll need to change proportions next time. Thanks for sharing.
over 1 year ago elisabeth11
I've been making this recipe for years with one slight difference - add 1/2 cup white wine to the bacon fat. It adds another layer of flavor. Delicious!
over 1 year ago tastyfish
Not sure about the authenticity but a little shallot or garlic mixed with olive oil and butter in the hot just emptied pasta pan for a minute, then a little ham works nice and then toss the very al dente pasta in and over high heat keep adding little bits of pasta water..then pull off heat and add egg and parmesan. Makes the sauce bond with the pasta.
over 1 year ago Midge
I made this last night with half the bacon and chopped kale (added to the pasta in the last few minutes of cooking) instead of peas. Delicious!
over 1 year ago Shalini
Thanks for putting this recipe back in the spotlight! We made it two years ago and loved its tasty simplicity.
over 1 year ago Shalini
I forgot about this recipe! We made it two years ago from this site and loved its tasty simplicity. Thanks for putting it back in the spotlight!
over 1 year ago isac
Really fast, easy and really tasty.
had all ingredients in my fridge. Will make again for sure!
almost 2 years ago saparker1
I don't cook much so I was trying to find something easy and good. Made a small batch trial for lunch and it was great! I will be making for my new hubby soon. Thanks!
almost 2 years ago SWTorrey
Tried this the other night - it was good, but I agree with morgandrew that it was missing something - it seemed to need more sauce, although I discovered later that a lot of the sauce had percolated down to the bottom of the serving bowl. Perhaps next time I'll try a more textured pasta that will hold the sauce better, and maybe some onion or garlic. Or cream...
almost 2 years ago GSmodden
I liked this dish. I usually make carbonara with some cream. This was lighter, which was nice, because I was looking for quick dinner but not something extremely heavy. I used wheat pasta and added crushed red pepper for heat.
almost 2 years ago BlissfulBaker
I needed a quick & easy meal tonight, so I pulled this recipe from my "must try" pile. How have I gone this long without making carbonara? Unlike Amanda, I looooove veggies, so I doubled the peas in this recipe. I used fusilli for the pasta, which made the mixing of bacon & peas easy (no tangles of spaghetti to navigate). Everything was ready within 20 minutes. Delicious!
about 2 years ago mboerner
Pancetta is tastier in this dish because it is not smoked, as is bacon. The way to get pancetta crisp is to put it in a panini press, which will drain the fat into its tray. Just use as much pancetta fat as you like. But I agree, not much for this already fatty dish.
about 2 years ago morgandrew
Made for dinner tonight. Lacking something. Needed more flavor somewhere.
over 2 years ago cantrelld
I made this tonight and it was a definite hit with my family. Will make this again.
almost 3 years ago aromes
Excellent!
I am trying this recipe
almost 3 years ago ody
My mom always made carbonara with peas for us kids! I think she skipped the traditional egg (used a little cream to thicken it instead---probably because it was easier), but she added onions, sauteed with the bacon, which I highly recommend.
about 3 years ago ENunn
Just made this for dinner. Loved it. Second night of Food52 meals.
over 3 years ago Elise
made this for dinner, and we loved it. used whole wheat spaghetti to counter the delicious but unhealthier ingredients. great for a quick meal because it took no time.
over 3 years ago Elise
made this for dinner, and we loved it. used whole wheat spaghetti to counter the delicious but unhealthier ingredients. great for a quick meal because it took no time.
almost 4 years ago KelseyTheNaptimeChef
I love the addition to peas to one of my favorite dishes. Great idea!