Recipe of Alessandro and Pierluigi Roscioli: pasta carbonara
Ingredients for 2 people
For the guanciale
- 120g guanciale
Procedure
Carefully clean the guanciale: remove all the pepper and rind. Cut slices about 1 cm high and then 1 cm cubes. Place them to roast in a hot pan over high heat. Wait, without stirring, until the first fat has melted and one side is nicely crisped and golden. At this point stir and wait until all the fat has melted. Lower the flame and let the crispy guanciale cubes candy for at least 20 minutes. After this time has passed, keep them in a small pan not far from the stove and on top of the oven so that they always remain crispy.
For the egg cream
- 180g of Benedetto Cavalieri Spaghettoni.
- 1 whole egg + 1 yolk
- 105g Pecorino Romano cheese
- 20g Parmigiano Reggiano vacche rosse 24 months
- Coarse salt
- 10g freshly ground black pepper
Procedure
Grate the two cheeses with a classic grater, not the new generation ones that make curls, and combine them.
While the spaghetti cooks in salted water (it will take 12-13 minutes) beat the eggs in a plastic bowl. Best to use plastic because it insulates the heat more.
Add a handful of grated cheese, freshly ground pepper and stir. If you can use a mortar instead of a pepper mill so that the pepper is not pounded too fine.
Dish composition
When the pasta is almost cooked drain, taking care to save a couple of ladles of cooking water. Place the pasta directly into the bowl with the eggs, pepper and cheese not far from the stove and heat source. Let it rest for about a minute, then add the crispy guanciale and a scant ladleful of its fat. If you can, without using tongs or ladles, start moving the bowl in circular motions and from top to bottom so as to emulsify the cream of egg, cheese and guanciale with the pasta. You need to be quick, helping yourself if necessary with a little of the previously saved cooking water.
The magic of a successful carbonara is all in this challenging minute of emulsifying the eggs, cheese and guanciale fat with the cooking water and the gluten in the pasta itself. Place a nest of pasta in the center of the dish and season with extra cheese and pepper.
