Even though I’ve written about making carbonara in the past, it’s such a fundamental part of my life – and Roman cooking – that I think you’ll bear with me if I post about one of my all time favorite dishes one more time.
Carbonara is one of those iconic dishes that are seemingly simple, but in reality so easy to mess up. In a dish this minimal, it’s essential to get your hands on the best ingredients possible. I was thinking about this last weekend as I wandered through the farmer’s market, wondering what to make for Sunday lunch. As I strolled past my egg vendor I found my inspiration.
Not only does this vendor have the most incredible eggs with the most luscious, rich yolks, he uses those same eggs to make fresh pasta. Since carbonara is all about the eggs, and raw ones at that, it really only makes sense to attempt this dish when you are not only sure of the eggs’ freshness, but also of the quality. These eggs, from the Livornesi chicken breed, are known for their unctuous thick yellow yolks, full of flavor. Great in Carbonara, and great for making fresh pasta. (which, thankfully, the egg guy did for me)
My next stop was at my pork guy. While I’d usually use guanciale, cured pork jowl, for this dish, I got lazy and bought a small pack of pancetta that he had cut just that morning. While I would never think of buying pre-cut pancetta in the supermarket, I’m fine with my butcher making my life a bit easier by doing my chopping.
And finally, a chat with my cheese guy. Together we chose a pecorino that was sharp enough and aged enough to be grated and then to melt well into the final dish to form a rich and creamy, but pungent, foil to the eggs and pork.
Getting the ingredients is, however, only half the battle. Making carbonara correctly also involves technique. When and how to mix things up is the key. So to make things easier, and so that there are no excuses, I’ve made a short video.
Enjoy!
Farmer’s Market:
Mercato di Campagna Amica del Circo Massimo
Via di San Teodoro 74
Open Saturday, 9-6, Sunday 9-4
Loved your cooking videos and this one especially. It’s important to read your blog and how you emphasize the best ingredients! Also love that it was filmed in the future…November 2015! Keep them coming!
Oh god! Do you know how many times I checked and double checked spelling before I hit ‘publish’ on Youtube? I guess I’m as bad with numbers as I am with letters. Well, at least I can cook! 🙂
Elizabeth, I love every thing about your videos, and I don’t even cook!
Would love to make this for dinner tonight! Looks soooooo good. But here in the States where the quality of supermarket eggs can be questionable, any advice on making it a bit *safer?
If you can get a hold of at least organic eggs then I’d use those.
thanks!!
Amazing eggs. I wonder what he feeds them to get yolks that colour!
And many thanks for the excellent video. Now I know how to do it for sure.
All the eggs in Germany are deep orange as well. Some more than others. Local ones are better than mass produced. And eggs definitely taste so different there. Real flavor.
Thanks Elizabeth,
nice and simple….
I am crazy about the pan in which you sautéed the pancetta.
It looks as though there is absolutely no handle(s) at all.
I imagine you bought it in Rome.
Where there do you like to shop for pans?
Thanks for the complements about the pan. It does indeed have a handle, but Domenico was shooting incredibly close so you don’t see it. And you can get one too, very easily, since it comes from a little store called Ikea.
Oh my!! Is it 2015 already! Great video, now I know what I was doing wrong – could never get it the way I had had it in Rome.
Yes, evidently time just flies by when you’re happily cooking in the kitchen!
The Farmers Market at Circo Massimo is already on our itinerary for when we visit next year – now we know what we will be cooking for lunch!
Definitely worth going to while you are in Rome!
Grazie! I have always avoided making carbonara, but watching you do it has given me the courage to try. I can’t always wait for my next trip to Rome!
Simply beautiful!
What a wonderful (and useful) video. i’ve seen many attempts to demonstrate making Carbonara, and this was the clearest and easiest to follow. I’m curious if the date at the end is an indication that you are dreading the upcoming months, or maybe just eagerly anticipating next year.
The latter, of course.
Oh, yes; thank you so much. What about guanciale in carbonara? Our guanciale here in Santa Monica is great, and I love it. This is my desert island pasta dish.
I have used both guanciale and pancetta. The important thing to keep in mind is quality, of course. So use the best of what you can get your hands on which in your case sounds like guanciale.
Love the video! You make everything look so easy. One note – it’s still 2014 🙂
I love your recipe videos (especially the carbonara one prepared for next year).
Great – thank you!! A little different technique and I like it! Will try it out next time. Unfortunately we have no good pancetta up in Alaska so I rely on friends who carry it back from Portland, Oregon for me!!
And there’s always mail order!
Thank you for that video. I love Carbonara, after first having it in Rome over 30 years ago. I only wish I had access to all the wonderful ingredients you use, as it makes all the difference!
We’re flying back to Rome today, for the winter. We arrive tomorrow afternoon. Sunday morning will find us at the market at Circo Massimo, looking for your fresh ingredients. Thank you Elizabeth.
Your videos make me smile. Thanks!
Great video!!! keep them coming.
i find that adding that little bit of pasta water is essential to make sure the egg mixture does not harden fast, especially if you make a large amount of carbonara and guests go back for second helpings!
the only things i do differently are:
1. i bloom my cracked pepper in the pan with the hot oil and pancetta (it does not bloom in the eggs)
2. i sprinkle copious amounts of cheese on the plate before serving
now a request: please make us a video to teach us CACIO E PEPE…that is the ultimate task for roman pasta-makers. ciao
Cacio e pepe will definitely be coming!
Love the video! Nice and simple instructions…and the photos are gorgeous, especially the pancetta.
Thanks!
Just made it for the first time and it was spectacular!
Glad to hear it worked out well!!!
Do we need to wait for the pasta+panchetta and the pasta water to cool down and then add to the egg+cheese to avoid cooking of eggs?
Not really. If you are doing everything in a bowl, and stirring and adding just a drizzle of pasta water at a time, then you should be ok.
It was so good.
I am obsessed with your cooking videos.😍