The real Carbonara!

Carbonara is definitely one of the most famous Italian dishes. For its popularity, several different versions can be found all over world: some are quite faithful to the original, others are… creative interpretations, let’ say!

The real Carbonara!

Usually associated with the city of Rome, Carbonara is typical of the whole Lazio region and, despite its international prestige, it is rather easy to make.

Forget mushrooms, spinach, onions and, above all, cream and get ready to finally taste the real Carbonara!

Ingredients

The recipe for 4 people requires:

  • Spaghetti
  • 100 g guanciale
  • 160 g Pecorino Romano DOP (80 g for the cream and 80 g for the topping)
  • 4 egg yolks (one per person)
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Instructions

Step 1
Cut the guanciale into very thin slices, put it into a non-stick pan and let it simmer. Do not add oil: thanks to the heat the guanciale will release its own grease.

Step 2
Fill a pot with water, when it boils add a bit of salt (not too much, as guanciale and pecorino have a strong taste) and then add the pasta; the original recipe is with Spaghetti, but any type of pasta is fine, just pay attention not to overcook it.

Step 3
This is the most important step. Put the egg yolks in a bowl, together with Pecorino and pepper, and whisk with a fork. With a spoon, take some of the water in which the pasta is cooking and add it to the eggs: this will create the famous carbonara sauce. It should be creamy enough, but it really depends on your taste: you can add more  Pecorino Romano DOP  or more water, according to your preferences.

Step 4
A couple of minutes before cooking time (Spaghetti usually take 10 minutes), drain the pasta and put it in the pan with guanciale to complete the cooking. Steer for a couple of minutes and then turn off the stove.

Step 5
Wait one minute as the pasta cools down and then add the sauce made with eggs and Pecorino. It is fundamental that the pasta is not too hot, otherwise the heat will cook the eggs and turn them into an omelette! Steer the pasta and then serve it adding Pecorino Romano DOP and pepper on top.

Your carbonara is ready!

When was the last time you had dinner in an Italian restaurant in Canada and you thought you were dining in Italy? That’s exactly how “Ospitalità Italiana Certified”restaurants want you to feel when you visit their fine dining establishments.

Ospitalità Italiana is an official certification from Unioncamere, Italy’s federation of local Chambers of Commerce and Industry, that tells you that the food you are enjoying is unquestionably Italian: products are authentic, ingredients genuine and recipes true to the thousand year history of Italian cuisine.

Canada is home to some leading Italian Chefs. Passionate and innovative, many have refined their skills and advanced their knowledge directly in Italy. In addition, Montréal boasts a fabulous cooking school ITHQ where young aspiring chefs learn Italian technic and Italian traditional recipes from the masters.

So the next time you make reservations for an Italian dinner in a Montreal restaurant, ask if they’ve received the Ospitalità Italiana seal of approval. You will enjoy the true Italian taste.