Carbonara
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Carbonara is a traditional Italian pasta sauce. Its name 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 the black, freshly milled pepper that is used.
The original Roman recipe is made from eggs, parmigiano reggiano, pecorino romano, guanciale, black pepper, and either strutto, olive oil or butter.[1] Cream is not an ingredient in the original recipe, and is not generally used with pasta in central Italy.
The Anglo-American carbonara recipe is made from cream,[2] [3] eggs, parmesan cheese (sometimes with pecorino romano cheese), and pancetta (or some other type of bacon). Some American recipes add salt, pepper (white or black), and/or garlic to taste; with peas added for color.[3]
In both versions of the recipe, 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. As the name is derived from the Italian word for coal, some believe that the dish was first made as a hearty meal for Italian charcoal workers; others say that it was originally made over charcoal grills. Still others suggest 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 the Second World War, and it is not present in Ada Boni's classic book 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
- ^ Gossetti Della Salda, Anna. Le ricette regionali italiane. ©1965 Solares, Milan.
- ^ 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
- ^ a b Labensky, Sarah R. & Alan M. House. On Cooking, Third Edition: Techniques from expert chefs. ©2003, Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
[edit] External links
- “Spaghetti alla Carbonara” from Leite's Culinaria.
- Spaghetti alla carbonara Roman background & recipe from Rome File.
