Whatever you do, don’t add cream in your carbonara (Picture: Oli Jones)

Carbonara has been lost in translation. Weird variations of the Italian favourite include cooked Korean kimchi-style with doritos, in a sandwich or with ramen noodles instead of spaghetti.

It’s all very experimental but hardly enticing. Carbonara, originally from Rome, shouldn’t deviate much. I’m told by an Italian friend that Brits have a reputation for making a sort of scrambled-egg-and-bacon-fryup variant resembling breakfast.

Heston Blumenthal sets us straight in his book Heston Blumenthal At Home (Bloomsbury). ‘Outside of Italy,’ he says, ‘a carbonara is often considered to be pasta with a ham and cream sauce.’ A statement sure to make an Italian weep.



The sauce,’ he says, ‘should consist of pancetta, garlic, beaten eggs and grated Parmesan [or perhaps Pecorino].’


After showing such fine judgement, it surprises me his recipe then features onion, chillies and peas. But I’m a fan of Heston so, not wanting to be prejudiced, I make it. The green peas do distract a little from the simple meal’s creamy flavours but I enjoy the heat of the fresh red chillies.

I’d have assumed garlic was an acceptable inclusion but the Accademia Italiana della Cucina, which safeguards Italy’s recipes, doesn’t recommend it.

Nevertheless, Italian cookery writers Marcella Hazan and Anna del Conte both use garlic in their versions. After comparing the results, I find the wee nudge of garlic a good addition. To stop it overpowering, some cook garlic with the meat, then remove it. I’m with them on this.

Next, the pork – the soul of carbonara. I try streaky bacon as suggested by del Conte and Eric Treuille in their book Pasta (DK Publishing). In Nigella Lawson’s recipe, which I take from Nigella.com, she says: ‘Cook pancetta cubes in the oil until crispy but not crunchy.’

Purists vouch for delicately flavoured guanciale, which is from the jowl of the unsmoked pig, while pancetta is from the belly. The former isn’t readily available here, so I plump for pancetta and the fat lacquers the spaghetti with a gorgeous sheen.

A small yet contentious option is whether to include white wine, as done by Lawson and del Conte. For me, the vino with the pork is divine.

Simon Hopkinson’s The Prawn Cocktail Years [Penguin] recommends adding double cream. I hope I’m not being too influenced by my Italian cousins but on eating, the deliciously subtle flavours seem to dissipate.

Then there’s the egg to pasta ratio to consider. Using four whole eggs as well as cream leaves it wet. I decide the creaminess of this sauce comes from the egg and the Parmesan melting in contact with the hot pasta.

The vital, final decision to be made is the choice of pasta. Only spaghetti or stringy bucatini are acceptable despite some choosing penne.

The River Café Classic Italian Cookbook (Michael Joseph) mixes melted butter with the pasta, adding a heavenly golden hue.

Another option is to finish with grated nutmeg but I think the black pepper is enough



Blumenthal says: ‘You could also replace the pancetta with smoked or non-smoked bacon or a few anchovy fillets and the peas for fresh soya beans, broad beans, thinly sliced runner beans or broccoli florets, all pre-cooked.’

Can you disagree with a three-star Michelin chef? I’m sure many will.

Ingredients Serves 4

500g spaghetti

1 whole egg and 2 yolks

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed with a knife handle

70ml white wine

15g unsalted butter, melted

50g Parmesan, finely grated

2tbsp pasta water

200g pancetta, sliced 3mm thick

freshly cracked black pepper

salt

Additional Parmesan to grate over the top

Method

Step 1 In a large frying pan, slowly fry the pancetta and garlic in some olive oil so the meat releases its fat and becomes crisp.

Turn up to medium heat. Pour in the wine and cook for 1min, then turn off the heat and let it evaporate. This should take no more than 2min.

Step 2 Boil the water for the pasta and add a generous amount of salt. Break the egg into a bowl, add the Parmesan and beat with a fork or whisk.

Step 3 Cook the pasta for around 7min until it’s al dente then drain, reserving some of the water. Place the frying pan with the pancetta and garlic on a low heat. Add the butter and melt. When the pan is hot, turn off the heat and remove the garlic. Mix in the hot, drained spaghetti and stir in the egg. Use some of the pasta water to loosen the spaghetti if necessary. Toss gently.

Step 4 Crack in plenty of freshly ground black pepper and salt according to your taste. Serve immediately with a sprinkling of additional Parmesan.

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