Pasta Carbonara help!

[matthallo]

I am looking at doing the following recipe: PASTA CARBONARA
8 oz. cooked, drained, rinsed thin noodles (if long, break into pieces before cooking)
8 slices bacon, cut in 1/2" pieces
1 bunch sliced green onions & 1/2 tops
4 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms
2/3 c. Parmesan cheese, grated (I get domestic, in plastic sack at Pioneer Co- op)
3 eggs, room temperature
2/3 c. cream, room temperature
2 tsp. dry parsley flakes
1 tsp. Nature's Seasoning (or salt & pepper)

In fry pan brown bacon pieces. Add onion and mushrooms, saute until soft. In bowl beat eggs, add other ingredients and mix and set aside. To fry pan with bacon, onions and mushrooms and add rinsed, cooked noodles; heat. Just before serving, add bowl of egg mixture to hot noodle mixture (take off heat or unplug) and mix. Serve immediately.

But i don't understand when and how the eggs get cooked enough? And if the eggs do cook, why don't they dont becoem scrambled? thank you!

 

[ironchef]

I am looking at doing the following recipe: PASTA CARBONARA
8 oz. cooked, drained, rinsed thin noodles (if long, break into pieces before cooking)
8 slices bacon, cut in 1/2" pieces
1 bunch sliced green onions & 1/2 tops
4 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms
2/3 c. Parmesan cheese, grated (I get domestic, in plastic sack at Pioneer Co- op)
3 eggs, room temperature
2/3 c. cream, room temperature
2 tsp. dry parsley flakes
1 tsp. Nature's Seasoning (or salt & pepper)

In fry pan brown bacon pieces. Add onion and mushrooms, saute until soft. In bowl beat eggs, add other ingredients and mix and set aside. To fry pan with bacon, onions and mushrooms and add rinsed, cooked noodles; heat. Just before serving, add bowl of egg mixture to hot noodle mixture (take off heat or unplug) and mix. Serve immediately.

But i don't understand when and how the eggs get cooked enough? And if the eggs do cook, why don't they dont becoem scrambled? thank you!

Well, the eggs don't get cooked enough if you mean by whether or not the egg gets cooked through, but that's the nature of the dish. The residual heat should make the eggs creamy when tossed with the rest of the pasta.

 

[kitchenelf]

Yep, IC is correct. The eggs "cook" from the heat of the pasta. It is QUITE yummy!!!!! I'm sure you'll love it.

 

[vyapti]

I wouldn't worry too much about the eggs not cooking enough. It's a classic dish and very good.

 

[Mylegsbig]

your recipe is not very traditional. You should use a more traditional recipe, IMO.

and yes, the eggs cook as you toss them with the pasta. if you scramble them before, that is not carbonara

and that parmesan cheese are using is very poor. have you ever tried parmagiano regianno?

 

[auntdot]

Thanks Matthallo for bringing carbonara up.

The dish had fallen below my cooking consciousness.

Too many dishes, too few meals to eat, and dishes one loves can get mentally pushed aside and forgotten.

Carbonara is great. Was introduced to it in an inexpensive Italian restaurant as a student some thirty odd years ago. Sorry for the aside but get to reminiscing sometimes. Went there many times for the dish.

And yes, the cooking of the eggs is from the heat of the pasta.

In my humble opinion the dish cries for a bit of pepper (OK, I always add a bit more, I crave the stuff, but you can certainly hold back) but the Parmesan should add enough salt.

Personal preference, would not break up the spaghetti. I like the long strands.

Welcome aboard and you will find a lot of opinions here. But it is without rancor. We just want to help one another.

Let us know about the carbonara.

 

[Mylegsbig]

IMO carbonara requires a TON of not just pepper..but fresh cracked COARSE pepper. Big chunks.

FANTASTIC. Only better use of black pepper than on noodles like that is making a crust on a filet mignon.

 

[RDG]

I know: I'm the usual tiresome person..... , but Carbonara is one of the dishes I like more.
The RIGHT recipe is:
Brown CHEEK of pork (OK,OK, bacon is good the same..... ) in some lard (oil or butter are ok) and put in a big cup. Add the eggs (one for each person, 80-100 gr. pasta) mixed with some milk or cream, just a bit.
No onions, no mushrooms.
Pepper, just crushed fresh pepper as much as possible .
And, if you can have, Pecorino, not Parmesan (what's the difference between Parmesan and Parmigiano?). Pecorino is more tasty.
Pour spaghetti on this sauce, mix quickly till hot, and serve immediately: The eggs must not "cook" , but only become creamy for only the heat of pasta, as others have already said. Just before serving, add some pecorino and pepper more.....
Also in this dish, there are many versions. If only the red of eggs, or the whole eggs, spaghetti or maccheroni, cream or not cream and the fat in which you fry the cheek or bacon. Personally, I put off the white, and add just milk, not cream, but you can easily use the whole eggs.
What perhaps you don't know is the story of the origin of this dish. There are three versions: one of them says that in 1945, in Rome, american soldiers were selling to italians, in black market, eggs and bacon. And, in the little restaurants, they were always asking for noodles and "eggs and bacon". So, Romans decided to collect the two dishes in only one. Thanks, USA....

 

[Haggis]

To add to the story of pasta carbonara style I have also heard (if I remember correctly) that it originated from Italian coal miners as it was a very quick and easy dish to cook using very few ingredients and the large amounts of black pepper that was used looks like the dust or flecks of coal (or something along those lines). Also the fact that 'carbonara' is Italian for coal? (help me out here RDG).

Just a quick tip when making pasta carbonara; I recommend reserving a cupful of the pasta cooking liquid just before you drain the pasta. You can then use this water to adjust the texture of the carbonara sauce if need be (this is especially useful if you overcook the eggs and they lose their creaminess and firm up as I did the first couple of times I made the dish).

 

[thumpershere2]

Sounds like a great dish but I'm not happy with partially cooked eggs.Guess I will have to try it tho. I'm making sure the eggs are cooked good tho.

 

[cara]

onions and mushrooms are not that typical for a carbonara....
this is my Recipe:

Spaghetti with carbonara sauce

Ingredients:
1 pound spaghetti
3 ounces bacon, cubed
5 egg yolks
1 teaspoon butter
2 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano
4 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano
1 tablespoon extra - virgin olive oi
salt
black peppercorns


Bring a large pot of water to a boil; salt and cook the spaghetti al dente. Meanwhile, in a serving bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the Parmigiano, Pecorino, and a pinch of salt, until smooth.
In a pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the bacon until crunchy.
Drain the pasta leaving some of the cooking water clinging onto the spaghetti and transfer to the serving bowl.
Add the crunchy bacon, the butter, and some freshly grated black pepper. Stir to coat the pasta evenly and serve immediately.

 

[RDG]

Sounds like a great dish but I'm not happy with partially cooked eggs.Guess I will have to try it tho. I'm making sure the eggs are cooked good tho.

Of course, you can do as you like, but the eggs creamy and not perfectly cooked are a true characteristic of this dish: if you cook them too much, they don't seem a sauce, but only scrambled eggs. Trust in me (and others ) TRY.

Haggis, what you say is correct: this is one of the three versions I was speaking before. Carbone(it.) = coal, so, "carbonara" is "at coal (miners?) way". The third version refers to insurrectional movements in Italy during the beginning of 1800, whith the secret society "Carboneria" against Austria (no matters at all with a real coal). In every way, it's a recent dish.

 

[matthallo]

I need a good pasta carbonara recipe...

Okay, in my other post, i realized that the recipe i ahve probably isnt the best, so i am looking for a good, classic pasta carbonara recipe. Thanks!

 

[cara]

okay, then here again ;o)

Spaghetti with carbonara sauce

Ingredients:
1 pound spaghetti
3 ounces bacon, cubed
5 egg yolks
1 teaspoon butter
2 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano
4 tablespoons Parmigiano Reggiano
1 tablespoon extra - virgin olive oil
salt
black peppercorns


Bring a large pot of water to a boil; salt and cook the spaghetti al dente. Meanwhile, in a serving bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the Parmigiano, Pecorino, and a pinch of salt, until smooth.
In a pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the bacon until crunchy.
Drain the pasta leaving some of the cooking water clinging onto the spaghetti and transfer to the serving bowl.
Add the crunchy bacon, the butter, and some freshly grated black pepper. Stir to coat the pasta evenly and serve immediately.

 

[Alix]

This is my favorite carbonara recipe.

 

[RDG]

This is my favorite carbonara recipe.

Correct. I only suggest lard instead of oil.
Pay particular attention to cheese: pecorino or parmigiano, not else.

 

[Alix]

RDG, why lard instead of oil?

 

[RDG]

RDG, why lard instead of oil?

There's not a precise reason: lard taste is different. Try. They are both good: I too use oil when I have not lard at home.....

 

[Robo410]

pecorino Romano is a sheeps milk cheese, right? (so good) Parmesan Reggiano is a cows milk cheese. The Romano is sharper, the Parmesan nuttier in flavor. Both are staples in my kitchen.

 

[thumpershere2]

Ok RDG, I'll try it the way it is suppose to be made and just think of the eggs cooked.