Are you looking for a traditional recipe for Pasta Carbonara? You have come to the right place! I think you will find that my recipe for a traditional and authentic pasta carbonara will care of all your needs. I like to visit my favorite restaurants when developing my recipes. So in this case, that would be my favorite local Italian Restaurants. My thinking is that I try to figure out what I like or do not like in their recipe and adapt those thoughts to my dish.
Next, I will review recipes from my collection of books and search through the internet. When coming up with an authentic and traditional recipe, it was very easy for Pasta Carbonara. The reality is that there are only 5 significant ingredients in the traditional version based on what I found; Guanciale, Pecorino-Romano cheese, Eggs, Pasta, and Pepper.
What is Guanciale?
You may ask, what is guanciale? Guanciale comes from the cheek or jowls of the pig and is a typical ingredient in this dish.
Can you use Pancetta or Bacon? Or maybe Parmigiano-Reggiano instead of Pecorino-Romano?
Are Substitutes OK?
You absolutely can substitute and adjust your ingredients based on what you have on hand and you will still love the dish. However, a dish does not gather a following enough to be called traditional unless it has proved over time that it has deserved it. This is one of those recipes.
You could certainly add some other ingredients such as cream or maybe some peas. But you would not have what is considered to be a traditional pasta carbonara.
For me, it’s what makes you happy and what tastes best to me. Some people like cilantro…some say it tastes like soap (for example). I say experiment and get inspired.
People say, how did achieve such a creamy sauce in your pasta? Definitely not from adding cream. It’s due to some heavy-duty stirring between the eggs, guanciale, and cheese. You might add a tiny bit of pasta water to help your sauce if needed, but there is nothing else you have to add.
I hope you enjoy it! Make sure you leave some comments and let me know how your dish turns out! As always, thanks for Spending Time in My Kitchen!