Carbonara
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Carbonara is a traditional Italian pasta sauce. Carbonara comes from carbone, which is Italian for coal, and many believe the dish derives its name because it was popular among charcoal makers. Others believe, however, that the dish is called carbonara simply because of all the black, freshly milled pepper that is used.
The Anglo-American Carbonara recipe is made from cream,[1] [2] eggs, parmesan cheese (sometimes with Pecorino Romano cheese), and pancetta (or some other type of bacon). Cream is not part of the original Italian recipe [3], as cream is not used with pasta in central Italy, but it is a standard ingredient in the anglicized version of the recipe. Other ingredients that are often added to-taste include salt, pepper (white or black), and/or garlic. Lastly, some recipes add peas for color.
The eggs are added to the sauce raw, and cook with the heat of the pasta itself.
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[edit] Origin and history
Like most traditional recipes, the origins of the dish are obscure, and there are many legends about its birth. It is sometimes dated back to Ancient Rome. The name is derived from the Italian word for coal. Some say the pasta was first made as a hearty dish for Italian charcoal workers; others say that it was originally made over charcoal grills. Still others state that it is so named because the specks of bacon and pepper in the pasta look like bits of charcoal. It has even been suggested that it was created by the Carbonari ("charcoalmen"), the members of an Italian secret society.
The dish was unknown before Second World War, and it is not present in the classical book of Ada Boni La Cucina Romana, which was published in 1927. Its popularity began after the Second World War, when many Italians were eating eggs and bacon supplied by troops from the United States. It also became popular among American troops stationed in Italy; upon their return home, they popularized spaghetti alla carbonara (spaghetti with carbonara sauce) in North America.
[edit] Carbonara in popular culture
Neue Deutsche Welle group Spliff featured a song called Carbonara on their 1982 CBS album "85555."
[edit] Notes
- ^ Herbst, Sharon Tyler. Food Lover's Companion, Third Edition: Comprehensive Definitions of nearly 6000 food, drink, and culinary terms. ©2001 Barron's Educational Series. Hauppauge, New York. Barron's website
- ^ Labensky, Sarah R. & Alan M. House. On Cooking, Third Edition: Techniques from expert chefs. ©2003, Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
- ^ Gossetti Della Salda, Anna. Le Ricette regionali Italiane. ©1965 Solares, Milan.
[edit] External links
- Spaghetti alla Carbonara from Leite's Culinaria
- Roman Carbonara Recipe
