Washington^Squared: Spaghetti Carbonara

Elliot and I had a special dinner the other night. I had been promising to make spaghetti carbonara for months, and I finally kept my word!

I first had spaghetti carbonara in Italy, when I traveled there with my sister in 2008. We had a great trip there, starting in Milan and working our way south to Naples, then back to Rome. We also had a weekend trip to Venice in there, and got to spend a month eating Italian food, drinking Italian wine, and traipsing about the Italian countryside.

The Roman Paestum ruins, near Naples, Italy. January 2008

According to my pasta cookbook, Spaghetti Carbonara was not recorded prior to the Second World War. Because of this, it does not belong to a distinct regional tradition, like pesto?gnocchi (Genova)?or spaghetti bolognese?(Bologna). It is thought to have originated in Rome, which makes sense because I first had it at a little street side deli/convenience store on the old Roman road, the Appian Way. We walked in, tired from our bike ride, and I saw a man eating this delicious looking pasta dish. I said, "I'll have that!" And pointed.?

The Appian Way, which travels from Rome to the Adriatic Sea.

Can you tell that my food photographer took these pictures?

Spaghetti Carbonara

One of the keys to this pasta is to stir in the egg mixture slowly. You don't want the eggs to scramble, but to stick to the noodles and give them a great looking texture. I used a nonstick pan, which helps you to scrape the sauce off the bottom. It's kind of like risotto... you stir, and stir, and stir.?

4 eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan, divided

16 oz penne pasta

1 tbsp olive oil

8 oz pancetta, chopped

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 onion, finely chopped

salt & pepper

parsley, to garnish

1. Cook pasta al dente, drain and return to the pot to stay warm.

2. Whisk together eggs, cream, and 1 cup Parmesan in a medium bowl. Set aside.

3. Heat oil over medium in a large?skillet. Add onion and cook until softened. Remove from pan.

4. Cook pancetta in the same pan until browned, toss with nutmeg and set aside (the smell of this... oh it is amazing).

This is an unflattering picture of me cooking. However, a good picture of my awesome?

matyroshka apron.?

5. Combine pasta, onion, salt, and pepper in same skillet over low. Slowly stir in egg and cream mixture, tossing gently so eggs don't scramble. You are finished when the sauce thickens on the noodles, giving them a thick, creamy texture.?

Stir slowly! Don't scramble your eggs.

6. Serve with a sprinkle of nutmeg, Parmesan, and parsley. Also, delicious red wine is necessary as well.?

Placemats to come.

Source: http://wasquared.blogspot.com/2012/07/spaghetti-carbonara.html

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