Winter was in full force last week. The weather brought tropical force like winds and torrential rains Monday and Tuesday. Wind, rain and cold - not my kind of combination. I am trying not to rapidly finish our stockpile of wood. Although it is not as cold as New Jersey, when the temperature drops to 32°F(0°C) that’s cold to me! Unlike New Jersey we don’t have central heating so the house stays a little cooler than I like it to conserve energy. Last Thursday night the temperature fell a little further to deliver a few snowflakes!
I have planned a few activities to prevent the winter blues and cooking with friends is one of them. Thank you to those that joined us on our first Instagram Live on Sunday with chef Antonio Morra. You made it such a fun experience. We blended technology, the Italian language and cooking. It’s a first for us and we will have more lives making them better each time. See the link below
We drove the 2km from Allumiere to Tolfa to visit with Antonio. He offered to show us how to make his version of Pasta alla Carbonara. Out of the cold and into his kitchen warmed by a glowing fireplace, the glass doors leading to his garden had a spectacular view of the Tolfa Mountains. It was a family affair as both Riccardo and Alex came to help me out with the language. Alex had an ulterior motive – to eat! Carbonara is one of his favorites. Pasta Carbonara is a beloved Roman dish. Every restaurant in Rome we have been to, this is what Alex orders and we think he is now a connoisseur of this dish. I have suggested to him that we do a food review to compare and rate which is his most favorite version. We may make a project out of it. If we proceeded, I will surely let you know.
WATCH CHEF ANTONIO MAKE PASTA CARBONARA on INSTAGRAM
A LITTLE HISTORY
Carbonara is a classic Roman dish and there are so many versions. Bring up the subject to a Roman and there is a debate on how to make it and whose is better. It is a simple pasta dish made from eggs, pecorino cheese, cured pork and black pepper. Its origins are not well known and there are many versions of this story. This version I heard from Zia Nena, Riccardo’s aunt and from chef Antonio himself. It is said that the original recipe without the pork is a dish from ancient Lazio with origins called cacio e ouva. The original recipe documented from 1839 used only cheese and eggs.
The Italian word “cacio” is Roman dialect for Pecorino Romano, a cheese made from sheep’s milk. Cacio actually comes from the Latin word caseus which is also the origin of the English word “cheese”.
Carbonara was a nutritiously rich dish for shepherds and farmers. The name carbonara is thought to come from Appenine charcoal burners known as carbonari. It is said that the black pepper of the carbonara resembled the soot-stained charcoal burners.
However the names pasta alla carbonara and spaghetti alla carbonara were not recorded before world war II. After the allied liberation of Rome in 1944, and by the early 1950s it was described as a Roman dish. This is when bacon was introduced, which was supplied by the troops from America. It is said that the American soldiers mixed bacon rations with their powdered eggs which was the precursor to todays dish with the use of either guanciale or pancetta. Today Italians prefer to use guanciale which is the meat from the cheek of the pig. In this dish Antonio uses the fat from the cooked guanciale to make the dish rich in flavor.
DISCUSSION ON INGREDIENTS
We had a long discussion on each ingredient we used for the dish. If you have some time check out the video mentioned above with discussions between Riccardo and Antonio.
Guanciale is a fatty, salt cured meat from the cheek of the pig. Some dishes substitute pancetta which is the cured pork belly or slab bacon. Guanciale has more fat than pancetta and is preferred. Once the guanciale has browned, the fat is removed from the pan to cook the eggs. Some chefs discard the remaining fat in the pan to make it a “lighter” dish, but others embrace it. Chef Antonio warned us that this not a dish for dieters. For this reason the rich creamy dish is wonderful to enjoy in the winter time.
The term “macaroni” was used by Italians to refer to pasta. The use of “spaghetti” came after. The word macaroni was exported to America when the older generation immigrants went to America. I always thought that macaroni was an American word!
Elizabeth David’s Italian foods published in 1954 has a recipe for MACCHERONI ALLA CARBONARA – Macaroni with ham and eggs. In this recipe you can see the transition from bacon, ham to cured pork that is used today.
Have you seen Italy’s beloved actor Alberto Soldi in the movie I MACCHERONI (Alberto Sordi) - Un americano a Roma? After the war America was the place that everyone was talking about and the place they wanted to travel to. From film there was so much talked about the food and lifestyle. Pretty much like when I was growing up in Jamaica. America was the place many wanted to go to. In the movie Alberto is saying “I am American” and tried the American food. But he was not convinced. The macaroni and wine call to him. He is Roman after all.
CHECK THIS CLIP FROM THE MOVIE HERE
Pecorino Romano is a salted sheep’s milk cheese that has roots in Rome going back 2000 years. Here in the Tolfa Mountains we get fresh pecorino aged either 6 months to a year. The older cheese tends to be more salty.
Rigatoni alla carbonara di Antonio Morra
Serves for 4 people
300g Guanciale or smoked bacon cubed into ¼ inch pieces
Coarse salt for the pasta water
400g rigatoni
5 medium egg yolks
210g grated Pecorino Romano DOP and for serving
Peppercorns with grinder
PREPARATION
Note: if you use bacon, you will not have to prepare as with the guanciale.
Remove the rind of the guanciale and cut slices one centimeter thick. After that, cut each slice into cubes
Transfer the chopped guanciale into a large frying pan and put it on the stove over low heat
Slowly make the guanciale sweat, the fat must become almost translucent. Don't turn up the heat, we have plenty of time for the water to boil and the pasta to cook. Cook the guanciale stirring until golden brown for approximately 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the guanciale and the fat to cool in the pan. Then remove the browned guanciale to a bowl and set the pan back on the stove.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat– DO NOT ADD SALT AS YET
Separate the yolks from the egg whites. (You can use the whites to make merengue)
In a bowl, put the egg yolks, 200g of grated pecorino and a generous grind of black pepper. Mix everything until a sustained cream is formed.
Remove a couple of tablespoons of the fat that has been released from the pan with the guanciale and add it to the egg yolks and pecorino. Use a bit of the unsalted boiling water to “cook” the eggs. Mix the egg mixture continuously until it thickens and forms a cream. You want the cream to be loose enough to thoroughly coat the pasta but not be too runny.
Note: There is a fine line between pasteurizing the eggs and actually making scramble eggs.
Salt the boiling water and add the pasta. Cook according to instructions to make al dente.
Add the egg mixture to the pan that cooked the guanciale. When cooking the egg mixture in a pan avoid non-stick and select a pan that conducts heat evenly.
When the pasta is cooked, drain it and add the pasta to the pan and stir continuously over low heat. Slowly heat the egg mixture but take care not to scramble it. When the egg begins to stick to the pasta and to the sides of the pan, turn off the heat.
Plate and sprinkle each portion with some of the remaining Pecorino Romano and pepper to taste
Serve immediately
Serve with a local red wine
I would have to say this was one of the best carbonara that I have had and both Alex and Riccardo concur.
If you come to Tolfa and need a private chef, give Antonio a call
You can find him on Instagram and Facebook