Spaghetti Carbonara (a la Biba)
This recipe was a tradition in my family but it sorta concerns a lot of modern cooks because the eggs are eaten raw. Yup, raw, like Gaston .
So let's talk first about the consumption of raw eggs. So the internet is divided on this topic. Many sites say that eating raw eggs puts you at a higher risk of getting ill from the bacteria known as Salmonella. There are eggs out there that are pasteurized and claim that they are the only eggs which are safe to eat raw. That may be true and if you are concerned then you can buy those eggs. However, I can really only speak on my own experience and that experience is this: I (along with the country of Italy) have been eating this dish for years (with regular eggs) and have yet to get sick from it. So let us move on.
The creator of the recipe (as I have interpreted it) was Biba Caggiano . Originally, however, carbonara is a much older, traditional Italian dish which can trace its origins back to Rome.
Pasta alla Carbonara
Prep
Melt the butter in a pan with the oil over medium high heat. When butter foams, add the bacon (precut into chunks or squares). Saute until cooked.
While your bacon is cooking up and your water is heating, prepare the sauce. First separate out your eggs. Now there is a fancy instrument in the kitchen which separates eggs for you (some cost up to $20!). Or you can do it yourself with the egg's shell.
Over a small bowl, crack your egg but do not simply release the egg into the bowl, rather, delicately tip the egg over into the larger portion of shell and separate the top part of the cracked shell. Part of the egg white will naturally fall a bit into the bowl below. That's good, let gravity help you here. Once it has stopped falling, carefully transfer the yolk and whatever remaining white there is from one side of the shell, into the other. This will rotate the egg yolk and you'll have a bit more freedom to let the white fall a bit more. Sometimes you need to do the transferring thing a few times before the white breaks free.
If this is your first time separating eggs, you may want to have a few extras just in case. Also if you want to see how this is done, take a look at this video (It appears it's by a fitness guru over the pond some place... but hey, he knows how to separate an egg well!) I've linked you to the pertinent part about a minute in:Open Video Now
Once you've freed the yolk from the white and it is all alone in one side of the shell, simply dump it into another large mixing bowl (this is where we'll be making the sauce). Do this until you have four yolks in your mixing bowl. Add cream, cheese, and a great deal of fresh ground pepper (this dish should be quite peppery) and mix completely.
Strain your pasta, dump it in the mixing bowl with the sauce and toss to coat completely. Add the meat (I try to keep a lot of the oils and fats behind in the pan and just take the meat but really it's up to you, Biba's recipe simply says "Add Pancetta.") Serve immediately!
Bon Appetite
Note about eggs:"Hey, Molly? I'm left with four egg whites.... what the heck do I do with these?" Well you can give them to your dog, they are said to be good for dogs.... Or you can make mini quiche! Take a look at my recipe here!! :)
Note about Heavy Whipping Cream:By Heavy whipping cream I don't mean the whipped cream that comes in the can like Redi-Whip but rather it comes in a carton marked Heavy Whipping Cream. Take a look at this link if you want to see a picture. Ignore the price, at the regular grociery store in the milk section it costs a few buck tops. If you want a slightly lighter option, my mom uses Half and Half as a substitute.
