Best carbonara recipe?

My wife and I are looking to step up our pasta game at home, and she in particular loves carbonara (who doesn’t). Anyone got a recipe they recommend? On google I found one from the NYT, not sure if anyone has tried it before.

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That recipe is fantastic.

There is only one Carbonara recipe.

Spaghetti
Guanciale (not prosciutto or bacon)
Egg yolks
Pepper
Pecorino Romano (not Parmesan)
Pasta Water (to get consistency)

Outside of those it’s not Carbonara, its pasta.

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I’ve never heard of guanciale. Can this be found in grocery stores or do I need to source it from a specialty shop?

Guanciale is cured pig cheeks. It’s the ingredient that makes carbonara authentic. It’s pretty easy to find at high end food markets or on line. I tend to soak mine in cold water before using as I’ve found commercial brands leave too much salt from the cure on the finished product.

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Hahaha! I follow what is supposed to be Marcella Hazan’s recipe, which is a little bit different. Guanciale is key!

Also key is using the double boiler method for final step so you don’t curdle your sauce.

I do the NYT, I present the dish with a yolk in a half egg shell in the middle. Each diner can mix the fresh yolk in. I adjust the yolks in the main recipe.

Mix the first yolk and egg mix with pecorino/parm pepper in a small bowl. Have a large bowl ready. When the pasta is done empty pasta with water into the big bowl to warm it. Transfer the pasta into the guanciale frying pan. Leave hot water in the big bowl. Heat the pasta and guanciale mix through. Empty the water (I return some to the pasta pot) and pour the pasta mix into the warm bowl, add egg mix, toss, add pasta water to make creamy.

Don’t mix the whole thing in the frying pan, as the eggs will cook too much.

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You can order it online here if you can’t find it locally: https://laquerciashop.com/collections/kitchen-magic

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LaQuercia is :heart::heart::heart:

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Exactly. The Serious Eats method can be found here:

I’ll never make carbonara without a double-boiler method ever again.

For sure! I’m a huge fan of the speck and Tamworth pancetta.

They are local to us and raise heirloom pigs free range. Their acorn fed (oak makes up the great majority of hardwoods in Iowa) prosciutto is off the charts, right there with Parma and Bellota.

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Only place I go as Salumi is one of my absolute favorite gems in Seattle.

https://www.corofoods.com/collections/specialty-meats/products/guanciale

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I’m a believer in acorn-fed pork! [cheers.gif]

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I probably made Carbonara for a year trying to master it, never used double boiler…definitely scrambled some eggs early on…now I only do it in the pan I cooked the guanciale in, adding pasta water as needed. We now prefer to eat Carbonara at home where before we had to go ourlt for it.

Kris Patten’s recipe is spot-on. If you want a video tutorial, this is the best I’ve seen:

Spaghetti alla Carbonara - la ricetta originale di Luciano Monosilio - YouTube from Luciano Monosilio, chef and owner of a restaurant in Rome. Pretty much the golden standard of Carbonara in Italy.

Here a tweak to the recipe with infusion of garlic and gianciale fat - from Mauro Uliassi, a *** chef - recipe is not difficult. But all stands or falls with the quality of the guanciale, eggs and parmesan/pecorino mixture.

I went into an Italian grocery store today. Tiny little place. I ask for guanciale. Nope, sorry. Got some pancetta instead. Another guy behind the counter tells me, “you don’t want guanciale for carbonara. Where we are from in Italy they never use it.” The lady next to me at the counter also agrees with them that I don’t want to use guanciale. Interesting…

I bet they aren’t from Rome.