Two lovers, one plate of spaghetti. Has there ever been a hotter ode to food and romance than the iconic scene in Lady and the Tramp? Probably not. But, there is something to be said for ditching the check-tablecloth setting of a formal date (even if it is by a dumpster) in favour of a home-cooked meal.
In Nora Ephron’s 80s classic film Heartburn, Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson end up in bed after a whirlwind night out that leads to Meryl’s character Rachel whipping up their first meal together, spaghetti carbonara; the most indulgent of all pastas (and a sheet-safe one at that).
For Valentine’s Day, we asked Melissa Meo from Stracci, a fresh pasta deli in Auckland's Westmere, for a recipe that best sums up our February theme of ‘pleasure’. After some thought, “I decided the carbonara is about as decadent as it comes,” says Meo.
Fast to make with just four ingredients, the classic carbonara is simple pleasure at its core. Best served in one bowl, with two forks, in bed. A bottle of Chardonnay or Italian Soave wouldn’t hurt either.
If you’re a local, and you can’t be bothered doing the shopping, you could also order one of Stracci’s adorable Valentine’s Day meal kits here.
Classic carbonara
Ingredients:
200g spaghetti - either freshly extruded from your local pasta shop or the best quality dried pasta you can find - I recommend Rustichella or Girolomoni
2 egg yolks
30g freshly grated Pecorino Romano, or Parmigiano Reggiano (parmesan) cheese
80g guanciale, cut into lardons
Preparation:
1. Bring a large pot of water seasoned with salt to the boil.
2. Separately, place your guanciale lardons into a cold frying pan, and place on a medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the fat is rendered out and the guanciale is crispy. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
3. In a bowl, mix your egg yolks and Pecorino into a paste.
Assembly:
4. Add your spaghetti to the boiling water, and set a timer for the prescribed cooking time
5. Place your frying pan with the crispy guanciale and rendered guanciale fat back onto a very low heat and warm back through.
6. Once the spaghetti has finished cooking, remove the frying pan from the heat and using tongs, take the spaghetti directly from the pot and place it straight into the pan with the guanciale. Add a ladleful of the pasta water and stir vigorously.
7. Add your egg and cheese paste into the pan as well and continue to stir vigorously. The paste will emulsify into the spaghetti, guanciale and water to create a velvety smooth, creamy sauce
8. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more pasta water to loosen it, stir and serve
Notes:
- Pecorino Romano is the 'correct' cheese to use in this recipe, but Parmigiano Reggiano works well and is more readily accessible. Pecorino is made of sheep's cheese so it is suitable for a dairy free carbonara
- Guanciale is cured pork jowl, similar to pancetta which is from the belly. Again, guanciale is harder to find so if you have trouble sourcing some but can find pancetta, it will do.
- Heat control is key! If the pan is too hot, the egg will scramble and the sauce will be lumpy. It is much easier to turn the heat up if the paste isn’t melting, than to start too hot. Once it’s scrambled, it’s too late.
You can find a video tutorial here.
