Eat Carbonara Until the Pan Is Empty

We know by now that a good carbonara is made without cream. But how to serve it perfectly remains a matter of debate. The number of eggs, whether or not to add extra egg whites, the type of cheese and meat—there are dozens of different recipes in which the quantities and ingredients vary. There are also various stories about the dish’s origins.

According to Paolo Valentino, food journalist at Corriere della Sera, the history of carbonara goes back approximately 70 years to the period when American soldiers were stationed in Italy shortly after the Second World War. Spaghetti with bacon and powdered eggs was a favorite dish among many Americans. Local Italian chefs were asked to prepare this dish, and thankfully the powdered eggs were replaced with fresh ones. Instead of bacon, the Italians used guanciale (pork jowl), and lots of freshly ground black pepper was added to the pasta. And there you have it: the birth of pasta carbonara.

We simply want to enjoy the perfect carbonara.

This story about the Americans is by no means certain. Franz Conde, chef at the Italian restaurant Roberto’s at the Hilton in Amsterdam, knows the story, but says that many proud Romans do not believe it. “In Italian eyes, carbonara is a dish that stems from pasta cacio e pepe, a dish made with pecorino and lots of black pepper. In Italian, carbonara means coal miner, a reference to the black pepper in the dish.” The chef cannot say with certainty how the guanciale and eggs came to be added.

Foundation of Italian Cuisine

Still, it is striking that carbonara does not appear in the original version of Il talismano della felicità by Ada Boni. This 1929 Italian cookbook is considered the foundation of Italian cuisine, and all the classics from the cuisine, such as ossobuco, are included. All right, we could tell even more stories about the history of carbonara, but that is not what this is about. We simply want to enjoy the perfect carbonara.

Robert Kranenborg keeps eating this dish until the pan is empty.

Robert Kranenborg on carbonara
Robert Kranenborg cannot get enough of pasta carbonara and makes it in its most authentic form with guanciale, egg and excellent Parmesan. Then he keeps eating until the pan is empty. “I make it by whisking eggs with some Parmesan. At the same time, the guanciale melts in a pan. When the pasta is ready, you mix it with the pork fat. Then you add the egg mixture, and the sauce binds on its own. A splash of olive oil and you’re done.

Check out the recipe for Kranenborg’s ultimate carbonara here.

You cannot often find guanciale (pork jowl) in the supermarket, but you can buy it at a specialty shop, such as Brandt & Levie or at L’amuse on Stadionplein in Amsterdam.

Tips from Italian Franz Conde (chef at Robertos’s in the Hilton) to make sure it can never go wrong.

• Make sure the temperature of the pan does not rise above 85 degrees, otherwise the egg yolks will set.
• Later, add some pasta water to the mixture of egg yolk and cheese as well. It contains some flour from the pasta, which helps bind the sauce beautifully.
• Use pasta made from durum wheat, not egg pasta.