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I tried an Italian Chef’s original Spaghetti Carbonara recipe and our children love it! Yours will too.

By on April 8, 2017

The rule at home is to train our children to eat only ‘real’ and ‘good’ food.  With two picky eaters to feed, it hasn’t been quite easy.  It can take 3 or even 5 tries before my kids will agree to eat a new food on the table. Thanks to this wonderful Carbonara recipe, I finally found something they simply adore.

There are many ways to cook a Spaghetti Carbonara.  I’ve seen many Japanese people add milk or fresh cream to give it a creamy texture while others don’t use eggs at all.  I’ve tried them all. But I have to say,  this cream-free version by Italian chef Stefano Barbato  by far stands out among the other carbonara versions I’ve tasted before and best of all, my kids agree!  So will yours.

You need (per person):  30 grams Pecorino Romano cheese, 50 grams pancetta (pork belly) 125 grams spaghetti, 1 1/2 egg yolks (per person), pepper and rock salt to taste

(TIPS:  FOR AN AUTHENTIC ITALIAN EXPERIENCE, DO NOT SUBSTITUTE PANCETTA FOR BACON.  PANCETTA IS SOLD AT NISSIN SUPERMARKET, NATIONAL AZABU SUPERMARKET OR AT CHEESE AND CHARCUTERIE SPECIALTY STORES IN TOKYO).

①   BOIL PASTA ACCORDING TO INSTRUCTIONS ON THE PACKAGE.  YOU MIGHT WANT TO OMIT THE SALT BECAUSE THE CHEESE AND PANCETTA ARE ALREADY SALTY.

②   DICE PANCETTA INTO BITE SIZE PIECES AND IN AN OIL-FREE PAN, FRY THEM AT MEDIUM HEAT.

③  PUT THE EGG YOLKS ON A DEEP MIXING BOWL.  GRATE CHEESE AND MIX WITH EGG USING A SPATULA UNTIL IT REACHES A CREAMY CONSISTENCY.  SEASON WITH SALT AND PEPPER BUT DO NOT PUT TOO MUCH FOR NOW. YOU CAN ALWAYS ADD LATER.  SET ASIDE.

④  NEXT, TRANSFER THE COOKED PASTA ONTO THE PAN WITH YOUR PANCETTA ON LOW HEAT.  MIX WELL.

⑤ NEXT, TURN OFF HEAT AND ADD THE CHEESE MIXTURE.  MIX WELL UNTIL THE PASTA IS EVENLY COATED.  ADD SOME SALT, PEPPER, GRATED CHEESE AS DESIRED.  SERVE HOT. ⑥  AND THERE YOU HAVE THE RESULT IN JUST 9 MINUTES ! 

⑦  AND HERE’S MY KID’S SECOND SERVING!  (ANOTHER TIP – CARBONARA SHOULD BE SERVED IMMEDIATELY AFTER COOKING.)  BUON APETITO!

About B. Drew