Pancetta Carbonara

One of my go-to, protein-packed college meals was carbonara and, even now, I find myself making it at least twice a month simply because it’s addictive. It’s easy to make for one person or ten, it’s affordable, and of course, it’s relatively simple to make. This pasta is rich, creamy, and the easily underestimated heartthrob of carb night.

I absolutely love that carbonara is made of simple ingredients and every single ingredient is easily obtainable. Knowing this recipe feels like a dinner cheat code! It’s essentially a breakfast sandwich made into pasta…I’m not really sure how appealing that may sound but let me assure you, it’s divine. The mix of eggs, yolks, pecorino romano, parmesan, and pasta water create the lavishly creamy sauce and the pancetta adds a salty crisp flavor to the otherwise silky dish. Now carbonara, or more traditionally, “pasta alla carbonara”, is typically made with spaghetti and guanciale. I personally believe that you can use whatever pasta or pork product you have laying around because I believe it’s always user-choice when you cook for yourself. However, you should beware of going too far off the beaten path of carbonara protocol. If you do, you may just reignite the fire and start the world’s second “Carbonaragate.” 

If you aren’t familiar with the culinary crisis that was “Carbonaragate,” allow me to explain what I’ve come to know about the event that caused national culinary outcry.

There was nearly a mini-revolution when a French pasta company attempted to make carbonara in a very nontraditional way. There was a seasoned debate after a video went viral showing an inventive new process. It’s safe to say the French company’s rendition really took poetic freedom when altering the classic Italian dish. I’m not too surprised that it caused disputes and outrage amongst Italian food lovers and critics. There was almost no similarity to the classic dish.

First, the french style carbonara used diced bacon and onions cooked in the same pot as farfalle (bowtie) pasta. There was emotional disruption amongst pasta traditionalists because of the use of bowtie pasta instead of classic spaghetti or long pasta, as well as the added diced onion, and because cooking everything in one pot ruins the entire process that is foundational to making proper carbonara.

Then, to add salt to the wound, the french adaptation was finished with crème fraiche, a raw egg on top, parsley, and cheese. Many lovers of traditional carbonara felt provoked due to how absolutely unrecognizable the dish had become while others took the opposite side of the debate, expressing that there was no cap on creativity and that the new rendition of carbonara couldn’t be stopped. With such a heated argument, I wonder what happened to this great carbonara fiasco? To my knowledge, like most media outrage, it seems to have dissipated with time.

Frankly, I just want to eat my pasta in peace. I respect tradition and also, maybe sometimes, would like to change my spaghetti out for lumache or rigatoni without the fear of sparking national controversy.

Furthermore, the deeper I dove into Carbonara history the deeper I got into conspiracy theories about carbonara coming from the group Carbonari which translates to “charcoal workers,” and was an informal network of secret revolutionary societies active in Italy in the 1800’s. It was suggested that the Carbonari lived on the outskirts of Italy and consumed carbonara after they had gone home from conducting insurrections in the city.

Now it seems to be just what I said, a conspiracy, as Carbonara was not even mentioned anywhere in culinary literature until the 1950s. However its origin is still a mystery, so whos to say? Some believe the dish was created as a hearty and delicious easy-to-make meal by charcoal workers that needed an easy food for long days and that’s the simple truth. Wherever it came from, it has served as a beloved italian classic for many years and is held close to the heart of italy.

Wow! Isn’t learning about food fun? You never know the true nature of the dish you’re eating if you never attempt to dive into its past and get to know it…I guess the same could be said about people too and I think that’s beautiful.

A LITTLE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS…

• Eggs and Egg Yolks. Serve as the base for the creamy sauce. Eggs are a great source of protein, vitamins, and minerals. The yolks add richness and help emulsify the sauce.
• Parmesan Cheese. Aged and packed with umami flavor, parmesan adds a sharp, nutty taste. It’s also a good source of calcium and protein.
• Pecorino Cheese. Made from sheep’s milk, pecorino adds a tangy and salty flavor. It’s rich in calcium and provides a distinctive taste that pairs well with parmesan.
• Pancetta. Adds a savory, salty flavor and crispy texture. Pancetta, an Italian cured meat, can be substituted with bacon or guanciale for a similar flavor profile. It’s rich in protein and fats.
• Spaghetti. The passionately preferred pasta for carbonara, providing a perfect texture to hold the creamy sauce. Whole grain or gluten-free options can be used for dietary preferences.

How to Make this Pancetta Carbonara Recipe Gluten-Free

When choosing pancetta or bacon, opt for varieties that are explicitly labeled as gluten-free to avoid any potential cross-contamination or hidden gluten ingredients. Pancetta and bacon are naturally gluten-free, but it’s essential to verify the product’s labeling.

For the pasta component, replace regular spaghetti with a high-quality gluten-free spaghetti or pasta. Look for options made from rice, corn, quinoa, or a blend of gluten-free flours. Brands like Barilla Gluten Free Pasta, Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta, or Jovial Gluten Free Pasta offer excellent choices. By making these adjustments, you can enjoy a delicious Pasta Carbonara that meets gluten-free dietary needs without compromising on flavor or texture.

Storing the Pancetta Carbonara

In short, I wouldn’t try to store this cause of the eggs in the sauce. This is one recipe I’d suggest keeping fresh.

Details & Considerations

Good lord, there are some important fudging details and considerations. Let’s break it down:

• Egg is a huge part of the sauce (obviously) so please hear me out: egg is a sensitive ingredient. Please make sure the pan is OFF HEAT when you add the yolk in or you will end up with scrambled egg pasta instead of a delicious sauce…Sounds pretty grody, right? It is, I know first hand. Now, since this can be tricky, there’s a foolproof method to avoid curdling. Simply whisk a small amount of the hot pasta water into the beaten eggs before you add the egg mixture into the pasta. Once you add the mixture to the pasta, stir quickly and vigorously to form a light sauce.

• If you choose to add pasta water to the sauce to thin it out a bit, be sparing with it. You can add more but can’t take any out and you don’t want to water the sauce down too much out of risk of losing flavor. 

More Recipes You May Love

Finally, if you find that you love this Pancetta Carbonara recipe, try these other recipes next:

you’ll also love…

Trending Now