Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Method

1. Cut the bacon into small cubes.
2. Beat the egg yolks in a bowl and add the grated cheeses.
3. Brown the diced bacon in a non-stick pan, on a medium heat. Set aside.
4. Cook the Spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water.
5. Before draining, remember to set aside a spoonful of pasta water to better toss and stir pasta and sauce.
6. Drain the pasta al dente and toss in the pan with the bacon.
7. Take off the heat and add the beaten egg yolks.
8. Don’t cook them too much, let the egg yolks thicken slowly, adding a little of the cooking water as and if necessary.
9. Season with freshly grounded black pepper and serve.

Chef's tip

If you are vegetarian, but still want to enjoy this dish, look out for smoked tofu and use it to replace the bacon. Another option is to replace the meat with vegetables of your choice, cut 'à la julienne', and walnut bits.

Serving suggestion

This is a rich dish, so we suggest you to serve it together with a light colourful salad! Feel free to add tomatoes, carrots, onions (or whatever floats your boat) to the green leaves!

Wine selection

We suggest you drink a white dry wine like a Friulano Friuli Aquileia DOC Superiore, a Greco di Tufo or a Nuragus di Cagliari. Among the red wines Bardolino DOC is a good pick!

Family tip

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Dish history

Pasta alla carbonara is a typical dish from the region Lazio, more particularly from Rome itself, made with popular ingredients and characterised by an intense flavour. Three main hypotheses exist on exactly how the dish was invented, but none of them has been confirmed. Some say it was thanks to the Americans who, at the end of World War II, were looking for dishes made with familiar ingredients (like bacon and eggs) and so gave Italian cooks the idea of mixing them with pasta. Another theory says it was invented by Italian charcoal burners, who used to take long-life ingredients with them (bacon, eggs and pasta). Finally, some believe this dish was invented in the Neapolitan area since its preparation method resembles some other recipes from that region.