Spaghetti Carbonara Is a Comforting Classic—and Our Recipe Makes It an Easy Weeknight Dinner (2024)

FAQs

Is carbonara a comfort food? ›

Pasta carbonara is the Roman's answer to comfort food. It's composed of a humble trio of ingredients — eggs, cheese and noodles — which, with the elemental magic of heat and water, alchemize to create a glistening bowl of pasta that's as restorative as it is comforting.

“I think it's immensely satisfying,” says cookbook author Giuliano Hazan, the source of the recipe I've adapted, as well as the son of legendary Italian food authority Marcella Hazan. The richness of the eggs, the substance of the meat and, of course, the flavor and texture of the cheese are a perfect pasta storm.

Though the origins of carbonara are not clear, the very first traces of a carbonara recipe date back to the 1940s. Some hypothesize that its birth is linked to the charcoal burners in the Apennines, while others attribute it to American soldiers who arrived in Italy during World War II.

It can be said that it is not a 100% Italian recipe but that the “made in Italy” emerges from the ingredients and traditions purely typical. It is said that the pasta alla carbonara was born in 1944 with the arrival of English and American troops on the line between Lazio, Molise and Campania.

Foods like pasta, that triggers the reward system in your brain has been shown to elevate mood and release stress, in the short term of course.

Spaghetti Bolognese is a classic dish that always manages to satiate our cravings and comfort our soul. It's more than just a pasta dish; it's a hearty, fulfilling meal that evokes the kind of gratification that only well-cooked comfort food can provide.

It uses the correct egg to egg yolk ratio

The eggs are whisked with cheese, then tossed with the hot pasta to create the thick, creamy sauce. In order for the sauce to be rich and not sad and watery, it needs the correct ratio of double the number of egg yolks to whole eggs.

You're using more egg yolks than whites here, which is what makes carbonara so rich and luxurious. But there's still two eggs-worth of whites in there. Whisking your eggs so that the whites are completely incorporated into the yolks will give your sauce a more uniform texture. Think of scrambled eggs.

As the fat renders, he removes some of the molten liquid with a spoon. The lean part of the meat ultimately caramelises and becomes a sort of "popcorn guanciale": crunchy outside and tender inside. His carbonara is very yellow in colour since he only uses egg yolks – one per 60g of pasta.

A mixture of Pecorino and Parmigiano Reggiano, and a few drops of extravirgin olive oil to help rebdring the guanciale are allowed. Why don't traditional pastas use cream? The reason is that cream isn't used in Italian pasta dishes is that it can be overpowering.

What is the golden rule for silky carbonara? ›

The golden rule to silky carbonara is to whisk your egg whites so that they're completely incorporated with the egg yolks. This will create a smooth, velvety sauce. As like any pasta dish, including carbonara, cook the pasta perfectly al dente so that it's soft but still firm, with some bite.

car·​bo·​nara ˌkär-bə-ˈnär-ə : a dish of hot pasta into which other ingredients (such as eggs, bacon or ham, and grated cheese) have been mixed.

Loved around the world, pasta alla carbonara is one of Italy's most famous (and debated) pasta dishes. We delve into the theories around how it came to be.

Use a long-pronged fork to twist the pasta on to the serving plate or bowl. Serve immediately with a little sprinkling of the remaining cheese and a grating of black pepper. If the dish does get a little dry before serving, splash in some more hot pasta water and the glossy sauciness will be revived.

Pasta is a type of Italian dish made from an unleavened dough of durum wheat flour and water. It comes in many shapes and sizes, such as spaghetti, fettuccine, and penne. Spaghetti carbonara is a specific dish made from spaghetti pasta tossed with a sauce made of eggs, cheese, pancetta (or bacon), and black pepper.

For centuries, pasta has been a comfort food.

Lasagna. This Italian classic doesn't require as much explaining as the previous entry. Lasagna hits all the comfort food pleasure points: Pasta, meaty tomato sauce, melty cheese, a crisp layer of cheese on top, all coming together in a rich mouthful that will send you right to the couch after eating.

It's creamy, comforting, easy to prepare and a worthy addition to your dinner repertoire. Fettuccine Alfredo is a rich, comforting classic.

However, pizza has more calories than pasta, 285 in a slice of pizza versus 220 in a cup of cooked pasta. This is attributed to the fact that the fat content in a slice of cheese pizza is much higher – almost 9 grams higher – than in a cup of cooked pasta.