Spaghetti alla Carbonara is a simple, comforting dish -- when made properly. It's classic Italian fare that somehow lost its magic when coming stateside, much like how cacciatore, bolognese, and even alfredo have been reduced to comical shells of their original recipes.

This is more or less "authentic" Carbonara. Note that it lacks peas, cream, chicken, or any number of other fillers as you may have seen it in restaurants. If my tone seems bitter, it is because it saddens me that the closest thing I have found in a US restaurant has been runny, goopy, or cluttered. (The one notable exception being Cyrus, north of Sonoma, but that's a story for another thread). My first real Carbonara in a neighborhood restaurant in Rome was an epiphany. Warm, textured, rustic and filling.

Ingredients

1 lb. spaghetti

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/4 lb. pancetta

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 eggs

1/4 lb. parmesan cheese (approx. 1 cup grated)

italian parsley, for garnish

black pepper



READ MORE...



