There are two types of people in this world. Those who use cream in their carbonara, and those who don’t (and feel very strongly about it). In fact, there’s a valid reason why ‘no cream carbonara’ advocates are so passionate about their stance… because traditional Italian carbonara doesn’t actually consist of any cream. Yep, that’s right, no cream, whatsoever. Mind. Blown.
Taste.com.au Food Director, Amira Georgy, confirmed this, saying: “Traditionally, carbonara sauce contains no cream, just eggs and cheese. The eggs and cheese are added to the hot pasta and tossed together until a silky sauce forms.”
Now, we’re warning you that a super unpopular opinion is right ahead. Although we know it’s not the authentic Italian way of enjoying the pasta, we think we’ve found the best carbonara recipe, EVER… and it features cream. Before you judge us, give us a chance to prove why it really is Australia’s top-rated spaghetti carbonara.
Amira said: “We’ve used a drizzle of thickened cream in this recipe as it adds a lovely richness to the sauce and it also helps stabilise the eggs a little.”
Not to mention, the flavour and the creaminess, will have you saying: “Why haven’t I been adding cream sooner?!”.
Here’s the recipe for the most controversial carbonara recipe:
2/3 cup (50g) freshly grated parmesan, plus extra to serve
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
Method
Step 1: Cook pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions. Meanwhile, heat oil in a frypan over medium heat. Cook pancetta, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until beginning to crisp. Add garlic for 30 seconds, then set pan aside
Step 2: Place eggs, yolk, cream and parmesan in a bowl. Season, then mix gently with a fork. Drain pasta, then return to pan. Quickly add egg and pancetta mixtures and parsley. Toss to combine – the heat from the pasta will cook the egg slightly and form a creamy sauce. Serve immediately with extra parmesan.
Should carbonara have cream?
Typically carbonara sauce is only made of eggs, bacon, parmesan, olive oil, seasoning, and sometimes, vegetables. As for cream, Italians will tell you that is a big no no.
How do you make carbonara silky?
The trick 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.
Why do restaurants make Carbonara sauce with cream? It should be just eggs, cheese, black pepper and pancetta. But then some people think that won't hit the palette of people from elsewhere. So it gets “adjusted” to local taste and the cream gets added.
Creamy sauces like carbonara sauce are usually made from butter, cheese, and heavy cream, all of which pile on the saturated fat and calories. A healthier option would be a lighter sauce such as the olive oil-based one in aglio olio, which is rich in good fat and cooked with fresh ingredients like garlic and chilli.
For an extra creamy sauce, it's best to use mostly egg yolks. The egg whites tend to make carbonara watery, but too many egg yolks can make the sauce too custardy. The solution? Five egg yolks and one whole egg.
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.
Should carbonara have cream? Typically carbonara sauce is only made of eggs, bacon, parmesan, olive oil, seasoning, and sometimes, vegetables. As for cream, Italians will tell you that is a big no no.
The Alfredo selection, however, only comes in at 1,400 calories, while the Carbonara has 1,480, with even more of them (510 versus 460) coming from fat.
It is possible to eat pasta daily and still be healthy. The key to eating pasta every day is to limit your portion size and supplement your pasta bowl with essential nutrients. The recommended portion size is two ounces of dry pasta or one cup of cooked pasta.
Eggs: A common misconception is that traditional Carbonara includes raw eggs in its final dish. The eggs and egg yolks in this dish are used to coat the pasta and give it a slick, almost creamy, texture. Eggs are stirred in at the end of cook time and cook up while being twirled alongside the hot pasta.
What not to put in Spaghetti Carbonara? Don't put garlic, cream, milk or butter. It is not needed. It is fine if you want to make a dish with those ingredients, but if you want to learn how to make this dish correctly, use only pecorino, eggs/egg yolks, black pepper, guanciale, and pasta water.
I like to use a ratio of 1 whole egg to 3 egg yolks because it balances the richness. If you are looking to avoid using raw eggs, I would recommend making my Cacio e Pepe recipe – this is another one of the four classic Roman pastas but requires only three ingredients (cheese, pepper, and pasta).
If you want your carbonara to be as authentic as possible, you should be using guanciale, not bacon or pancetta. Guanciale is cured pork cheek. It looks a little like bacon, but isn't smoked, so its flavor leans more towards pancetta. Rich, unctuous and packed with umami, guanciale is what real carbonara is made from.
Now quickly pour in the eggs and cheese. Using the tongs or a long fork, lift up the spaghetti so it mixes easily with the egg mixture, which thickens but doesn't scramble, and everything is coated. Add extra pasta cooking water to keep it saucy (several tablespoons should do it).
Guanciale – This is a key ingredient in carbonara, and is a cured fatty pork that is similar to bacon and pancetta. It adds adds flavour into the dish and the fat makes the sauce creamy when mixed with the egg and starchy pasta cooking water.
The use of thermal processing is the most effective method for Salmonella inactivation in preparations containing eggs. Consequently, according to regulatory agencies, it is generally mandatory that these preparations must be completely cooked to a temperature of at least 70 °C.
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