Here’s what you need to prepare a perfect carbonara
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Pasta a la carbonara is not only one of the classics of Italian cuisine that we like the most in Spain, but it also has the honor of being one of the best known dishes in the world. In fact, it even has its own day on the international calendar: April 6 is celebrated as Carbonara Day.
And it’s no wonder it has achieved such fame, because the carbonara recipe, originally from the Lazio region, raises passions for its simplicity and an irresistible flavor whose secret is the simple mixture of a good pasta with four ingredients: egg, guanciale –careta or cured pork cheek or jowl, unsmoked–, cured cheese and black pepper.
Spaghettone gragnanesse XXL: the cut preferred by chefs in Italy
So that this year we can celebrate World Carbonara Day in style, the pasta Garofalo Garofalo wants to help us prepare this dish at home, with all the authenticity possible, and for this has gathered in a kit all the necessary ingredients, each of them of the highest quality, as those that an Italian would use.
The kit is called “Carbonara fatta in casa” and has as protagonist a very special pasta that, after its success in Italy –where it has positioned itself in one of the top sales of the brand–, Garofalo presents for the first time in Spain: Spaghettone Gragnanesse XXL; its name pays tribute to its place of origin, the historic town of Gragnano (Campania), cradle of the best pasta in the world. It is a long pasta thicker than normal spaghetti–it is 2.5 mm in diameter–, so it requires a longer cooking time –about 16 min–, but the result is thicker than normal spaghetti–about 16 min–.ndash;, but the result is optimal both in texture and flavor, ideal for simple recipes that allow to highlight the pasta and cases very well with recipes, such as carbonara.
Apart from a 500 g pack of Garofalo’s Spaghettone Gragnanesse XXL, which for the moment can only be tasted in Spain thanks to this kit, 240 g of Negrini guanciale are included.–cured pork cheek, which gives an extraordinary flavor to the sauce–, 200 g of Pecorino Romano DOP Grattugiato –a strong, intense and aromatic sheep’s cheese– and freshly ground black pepper. Authentic ingredients, with designation of origin and top quality that allow you to prepare at home the best carbonara possible.
How to prepare the most authentic carbonara at home
The first thing you have to do is get your hands on the pack that will be available from April 2nd.will be available from April 2 while stocks last at the Accademia del Gusto, gourmet space of Italian products located in the heart of Chamberí (Cristóbal Bordiú, 55), at a price of 25 € and with it you can prepare about 4 or 5 servings. It comes in a melamine box with a bamboo wood lid.
But if for some reason it is not convenient for you to go personally to the Accademia del Gusto you can also set up your own carbonara party thanks to a very special delivery. You can have the kit with all the ingredients delivered to your home, as Garofalo has also organized a “Carbonara party” available through the supermarket option of the Glovo App from April 5. An opportunity to receive at home and at a special price the ingredients of a simple and delicious spaghetti carbonara.
This to prepare a perfect carbonara is not easy work, each Italian house is a world, Pasta Garofalo gives you the quality ingredients, for the preparation we recommend you to ask the key tricks to one of your Italian colleagues, meanwhile we leave you some clues:
Step 1
Put plenty of water to boil to cook the pasta, but do not add the salt until it has not started to boil. The amount of water to boil is one liter of water for every 100 grams of pasta. When the water comes to the boil and you have added the salt, add the Garofalo Spaghettone Gragnanesse XXL and let it cook for 16 minutes.
Step 2
In a frying pan, over low heat (4/12) put the guanciale cut into strips. We leave it for about 3-4 minutes without raising the heat, because we do not want it to toast or get crispy but to release the fat. When it is ready, remove the pan from the heat and remove the fat, but leave the guanciale in the pan so that it does not cool too quickly.
Step 3
Meanwhile, grate the Pecorino cheese and, when we have it, in a clean and preferably stainless steel bowl, beat the eggs well, add the grated cheese and a few turns of pepper. The salt provided by the cheese is usually enough, but if you like it to have a saltier touch you can add a little more. Also add the reserved guanciale.
Step 4
When the pasta is cooked, take it out and add it directly to the egg mixture – don’t even think of running the pasta under cold water! -. Mix everything well off the heat so that the egg cooks with the residual heat of the pasta.
Step 5
Serve our spaghettone Carbonara immediately with a little more freshly ground pepper on top.
Serve our spaghettone Carbonara immediately with a little more freshly ground pepper on top.