Tony Zentgraf
Simple to Make Carbonara
Culinary Seasons’ Spaghetti Carbonara is a variation of the classic version. Traditionally made with guanciale (cured pork cheek), egg yolks, black pepper and parmesan. I first learned to make this dish with pancetta, (belly of the pig) and is rolled and cured. Guanciale is usually flat in appearance.
This recipe strays from the traditional with the addition of half & half. This gives the dish a creamier consistency than the egg yolk version. This is an American adaptation that probably came about because of the popularity of alfredo sauce.
Smoked Bacon Gives it a Twist
Using bacon instead of guanciale or pancetta came about because I was cooking off some Hill’s Premium Meat Thick Cut Bacon. There were a few pieces that were cut twice as thick as the normal size. I smoked the thicker pieces for about 30 minutes, then cranked up the heat and cooked for another 15 minutes.
The thicker cuts were still on the undercooked side but were firm on the outside. I reserved them in the refrigerator until the next day when I prepared this dish. The additional smok on the bacon gave the dish additional smokiness. Plus it paired nicely with the cracked black pepper and parmesan made the dish amazing.
Carbonara – a Coal Miners Meal
Tracing the history of Carbonara, meaning ‘coal burner’, traces back to the 1800s in the region of Lazio on the west coast of Italy. Where the ingredients of the dish may trace to that time and region the name on the other hand was adopted in the mid 20th century.
There are Italian pasta dishes that trace back to the Lazio region that may have been the origin of Carbonara. Two of which are Asta alla Gricia a very similar dish to the traditional recipe and Pasta Cacio e Uova which is a meatless version of Carbonara.
Spaghetti Carbonara name came about after World War II. It is thought that coal miners ate this dish to keep going while working, hence the term ‘coal burner’. Towards the end of WWII American service men were looking for Carbonara in Italy as Italian newspaper La Stampa reported in 1950. The dish could have made a resurgence in Rome about that time as well.
After the American troops returned home, Carbonara began making appearances in cookbooks in the U.S. and in Europe.
Enjoy – Culinary Seasons’ Spaghetti Carbonara
Culinary Seasons’ Spaghetti Carbonara
Print RecipeEquipment
- 1 Whisk
Recipe Multiplier
- 6 slices Hill's Premium Meats – Thick Cut Bacon
- ¾ lb Spaghetti - dry pasta weight
- 4 ea Egg Yolks
- 12 oz Cream
- 1 cup Parmesan grated - for sauce and garnish
- 1 tbsp Cracked Black Pepper
- Salt as needed
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
Instructions
Smoking the Bacon
- In a pellet smoker, set up the racks and drain pan to drain the bacon grease into the catch.Smoke bacon directly on the rack.
- Smoke the bacon at 225° for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Turn up the heat to 350-375° and cook the bacon as you would do in the oven to crisp up the bacon. Approximately 15-20 minutesLeave the bacon on the under cooked side as you will want to render out the fat of the bacon for the pasta dish.
- Remove the bacon from the pellet smoker and reserve aside.This can be done a day or two ahead and kept in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Cook the Spaghetti
- Cook the pasta according to the package. Cook to the minimum time as the pasta will continue to cook in the sauce.You can cook at the same time as the sauce if you are comfortable with doing so.
Preparing the Sauce
- Cut the smoked bacon into pieces roughly ½" by ½" or into ½" x 1" strips.
- In a saute pan, add the olive oil and the cut bacon.
- Over a medium low heat, slowly render out bacon fat.
- The bacon will render the fat and beginning to crisp up.Cook the bacon until mostly crisp.
- Remove the bacon from the pan and reserve aside.Leave the bacon fat in the saute pan.
- Premix the egg yolks and cream in a bowl.
- Toss to coat the cooked and drained spaghetti in the bacon fat in the pan.
- Add in the egg yolk and cream mixture.
- Over a medium heat allow the pasta, cream and egg yolks temperature to come up slowly.
- Using tongs, toss the pasta with the sauce as it cooks. Coat the pasta with the sauce.
- Once the sauce starts to thicken and beginning to adhere to the pasta, add the cooked bacon and about a 1/4 cup of grated parmesan.
- Toss to combine the parmesan with the sauce and pasta.
- Add the cracked black pepper and a pinch of salt.
- The sauce should be creamy but sticking to the pasta.
- You can adjust the sauce thickness by either cooking longer or adding more parmesan. I suggest using the cheese to adjust the thickness to avoid overcooking.
- Plate with some additional parmesan on top.Enjoy!
