Traditional carbonara sauce: We have an Italian taste

Welcome back to Paulina Cocina! On a cloudy day like today, I felt like sharing this Carbonara Sauce ! You make pasta with carbonara sauce and feel like the chef of the family? Well, that's how I feel today, cooking for myself, and I want to share it with you.

Today we're going to talk about this delicious sauce, its shapes and variations, and the most traditional recipe of all. Its history, its ingredients, well... we already know each other, and we love to go into detail with these types of recipes.

About authentic carbonara sauce

Carbonara sauce is a traditional Italian pasta dish made with egg, bacon, and cheese. It was invented by the chef of Rome's Hotel Quirinale in 1887. The hotel restaurant served it as an appetizer to its guests.

As a basic fact, I'm going to tell you that it's a sauce that can be made from three ingredients: egg yolk, cheese, and pancetta . Didn't I say it's very simple? I like to talk a little about its history. Did you know that carbonara was the evolution of an older dish, "cacio e ova" (cheese and eggs). Originally, it was a sauce made by coal miners in Abruzzo, Italy; it was the star dish on their workdays.

Of course, some theories say its name refers to the coal miners who loved to make it. Others say the reference to coal came from the use of black pepper as an ingredient in early recipes. Well, tell me in the comments what other theories you know about its name.

Today, in 2021, the recipe for carbonara sauce has changed, like everything else. For example, many places around the world add heavy cream to their carbonara sauces, but this variation of the recipe is more common outside of Italy than within Italy. However, if they add heavy cream, they also add onion. 

Speaking of realities, when you see heavy cream or whipping cream in this recipe, run! That's not really a carbonara sauce. Likewise... The addition of pancetta is interesting, because recipes before World War II didn't include it. The truth is that guanciale, which we call pork jowl, the part that runs from the ear to the neck, was first used in Italy.

Ways to prepare the perfect carbonara sauce

Let's talk about the TRADITIONAL carbonara sauce recipe ! We already know a lot about its history, and we also know that it can be made simply with an egg, cheese, and bacon. There are still some details you shouldn't overlook. I'll leave a couple for you to remember before making it.

• The first thing we will take into account is choosing the right cheese .
• The usual and traditional cheese they use for this recipe is Pecorino Romano, which is a cured sheep cheese with an intense and characteristic flavor. 
• In any case, if we can't find that variety, safely use Parmesan cheese
• I've already told you that some people add cream to this recipe. Although it's so popular, it's worth clarifying that the original carbonara sauce doesn't contain it, as there are other ways to achieve its creaminess.
• Creaminess is achieved by adding the sauce to freshly drained pasta off the heat, mixing immediately.
• If you need more liquid, add a little of the pasta cooking water, which will give it the creaminess you're looking for.

If you want to make a complete carbonara pasta dish:

• After cooking the pasta and straining it, without letting it cool, we return it to the pot and mix it with the sauce.
• Below I leave you the recipe to make the sauce and then mix everything together.

Okay, I'll give you the most traditional recipe of all, and you can tell me if you want to add your own ingredients to your dishes. Then tell me what you're craving to add. Get creative.

It is a pleasure to guide you on this path of the Lord.

Carbonara sauce recipe

Ingredients for four people

• 320 g of spaghetti noodles
• 3 eggs (or 4 yolks)
• 150 g of bacon or pancetta
• 40 g of pecorino or parmesan cheese
• Thick salt
• Black pepper

How to make authentic carbonara sauce

1. Cut the bacon into strips approximately 1 cm long. 
2. Brown the bacon or pancetta in a pan over low heat for about 10 minutes. It shouldn't burn. Set aside when golden brown.
3. Grate the cheese very finely.
4. In a bowl, beat the egg yolks and add the grated cheese.
5. Season with a little salt and pepper, and beat with a fork to combine everything.
6. Add the reserved pancetta, a little more Parmesan cheese, and top with a little pepper to give our carbonara the final touch.

The most traditional pasta dishes

Did you know that pasta is one of the most popular foods in the world? It has been consumed for thousands of years and is still enjoyed today! In Italy, there are many different types of pasta, and here's a list of the most popular ones!

• Lasagna : This is a layered pasta dish that can be made with meat, vegetables, or seafood. We have a post on how to make lasagna dough , which I highly recommend.
• Ravioli : These are small, stuffed pastas usually filled with meat, cheese, or spinach. They're sometimes called "pockets" or "cups." Have you learned the recipe for homemade chorizo ravioli? They're not Italian, but they're delicious.
• Cannelloni : These are large pasta tubes filled with meat, cheese, or vegetables, and sometimes even chicken. I won't go into all the details here, but you can check out all the cannelloni fillings we have on the blog!
• Fusilli : These are long, corkscrew-shaped strips of pasta. This is also a classic in Argentina, and they're delicious!
• Spaghetti : This is a thin strand of pasta similar to linguine. Carbonara is often served with this pasta, the famous and classic spaghetti carbonara .
• Linguini : This is another type of thin, ribbon-shaped pasta. Of this list, it's the least known in Argentina. What do you think?
• Macaroni : A short, thick form of pasta. Commonly used to make the famous Macaroni and Cheese .
• Gnocchi : It's a potato dumpling! And we love it so much that we have an amazing gnocchi recipe

Did you love this carbonara sauce recipe? Discover more quick and delicious recipes in Paulina's ebook, "Cooking in 30 Minutes ," where you'll find practical everyday dishes, from pasta to desserts, ready in no time. Transform your meals with these incredible ideas!