P1Fanatic

One of my favourite all time pasta dishes if done properly. Always have it at a local restaurant in Wokingham and fancy doing it at home. Really dont like the heavy creamy versions you get in most chains restaurants.

I like the sound of this one:

Ultimate spaghetti carbonara recipe - BBC Good Food

Just wondering if anyone has a tried and tested recipe?

Cheers,
Simon

PeteBrant

Best Carbonara sauce I have had in ages is Waitrose own pots in the special gravy/sauces section bit.

But the receipes on the BBC are always worth a go, I have picked up some good ones from therre which you can add your own twist too.

I think you should make a big pan of it and then invite us all over to test.

Account deleted by request

With carbonara I always crack an egg over the pasta just before I serve, heat from the pasta cooks the egg.

Absolutely fantastic

chop

Devildog

Simon

Try this one - serves 2 to 4

3 Rashers streaky bacon
1 cupped handful of mushroom
Bunch of parsley
2 free range eggs (medium)
small carton single cream
3 garlic cloves.
fresh parmesan (appx 1 tablespoon)

you can change the quantities of all of the above (except the cream) to taste.

chop bacon, fry till browning in olive oil (enough so pan doesn't dry out), chop mushrooms, chuck them in with the bacon till soft, chop garlic and stick it in at the end withsome chopped parsley until just softening but not browning.

Take off heat and put to one side.

Whisk eggs in bowl with the cream until mixed well. Add salt and pepper to taste and the tablespoon of parmsan cheese. Mix through and add the fried bacon/mushrooms/garlic/parsley. Mix again and put to the side.

When pasta cooked to an al dente state, drain off but do not rinse. And this is the important bit, keep some of the pasta cooking water (there's a posh name for it) as its keeping the pasta moist before adding the sauce mix that keeps it light.

Now you have almost cooked pasta in the pan, return a little of the cooking water to keep the pasta well moistened but not enough that it pools in the pan, return to lowest heat and chuck in all the sauce. Use another ring if you have electric as too much heat scrambles the eggs.

Stir constantly together for a couple of minutes until the sauce starts to thicken and remove from heat before the eggs start to solidify.

On to warm plates and garnish with more parsley, parmesan, and black pepper

You may have to practice a couple of times, and there are no exact timings for the thickening stage.

How light or heavy the sauce ends up depends on how wet or dry the pasta is when you add the sauce mix.

You can also increase or decrease the cream content as suits.

HTH

ps - This recepie originated from a Sicilian chef who has been a friend of our family for years, and its way better than anything you get from a jar.

P1Fanatic

Cheers DD. I dont like the creamy versions and doing a bit more googling it seems that all the authentic recipes I find dont include cream at all.

I think decent pancetta makes a big difference to flavour and the more the merrier as my local restaurant gives you loads. I will try the BBC Good Food Recipe later this week and report back.

Cheers,
Sion

TopBanana

Which restaurant in Wokingham out of interest?

Devildog

Cut the cream down/or out to suit

P1Fanatic

Courtyard in the Market Square. One of the better places to eat I find, at least for Mediterranean fodder. Lot better than Don Beni thats for sure - they have a sister restaurant in Reading next to the Oracle called Dolce Vita.

Cheers,
Simon

P1Fanatic

And substitute bacon with pancetta Out of interest what spaghetti do you use - I normally just buy tesco dried stuff. Is the fresh stuff from the chiller worth the extra - always looks a bit thin to me?

Simon

cookstar

iTrader: (6)

Im going to have a go of that tonight.

Devildog

Fresh chilled is the way to go - it swells up. If the spaghetti is too thin, use tagliatelli instead.

TopBanana

Ah yes, only eaten there once and it was very good. I've been to Don Benis twice now after a recommendation from a colleague, wasn't impressed at all. There's also that one halfway between the two, very simple and not so expensive... but pretty amusing service. I couldn't get the bill because the staff were arguing amongst themselves.

P1Fanatic

Yeah I know the one you mean nr the police station. Keep meaning to try it but the mrs not so keen as think her old tried booking their once and they cocked it up.

Courtyard must a money pit as lucky to get a table outside at lunchtime being bang in the middle of the market.

Simon

ScoobyWon't

This is the version that I cook and it always, without fail, has got me laid

I'll assume you are using shop purchased pasta, but I make my own.
(Serves 2)

125ml Créme fraiche
75g freshly grated parmesan
75g sliced fontina (or just as good with other melting cheese such as pecorino, taleggio or gruyére)
1 large egg yolk
200g purple srouting broccoli.

Method:

Bring a large pan of water to the boil and place a bowl on top of it that it large enough to rest safely.

Place the créme fraiche and cheese in the bowl, season with a hint of salt and pepper. This will slowly begin to melt.

Prepare the broccolli by cuttig the stalks diagonnaly and leaving the florets whole.

When the sauce is oozing, remove it from the heat and boil the water hard. Put in the pasta and broccoli (I cook them seperately) and cook until the pasta is ready.

Whip the egg yolk (with any herbs of your choice) and tip it into the sauce.

Drain the pasta, reserving a little water, and quickly toss it with the sauce. The yolk will cook from the heat of the pasta. If you add a little of the water it will make the sauce smoother/silkier.

Taste and season, sprinkle on some more parmesan and serve with the broccoli on top.

I find this filling enough as it is, but sometimes I add pancetta and mushrooms to fill it out a little, which I cook while the sauce is melting and then add to the melted sauce.

lozgti

Never got laid through my culinary skills

ScoobyWon't

Try that recipe

It's nothing to do with getting them pissed first

P1Fanatic

Creme fraiche and broccoli with no pancetta - are you not sure you mean "laid out"

Simon