Older Single Mum: How to Make a Perfect Carbonara Sauce.
How to Make a Perfect Carbonara Sauce.
When recently waxing lyrical about the ups and downsides of taking in Foreign Language Students, it slipped my mind to mention the cooking.
If you nag them enough ask them very nicely they might show you how to cook the dishes they make in their own countries.
Here's Daniele who is Swiss Italian, making the perfect Spaghetti Carbonara - just how his Mamma does.
Top tip - cook the SPAGHETTI first. We forgot that on our first two tries at this recipe!
He is frying a couple of packets of Pancetta - until it's almost cooked through.
Now he's adding quite a considerable amount of FRESHLY GRATED Parmigiano Reggiano cheese - he says any decent Parmesan would do. It looked like 2-3 tablespoonsful. We have serious translation issues!
Then he adds EGG YOLKS ONLY, one per person, although I prefer one or two extra, plus he then adds quite a splash of MILK and keeps stirring until it's all cooked through.
He'd never made this before - he'd watched his mum and written down the recipe when he got sick of me asking we invited him to cook. I discovered it's not cream at all that gives this dish the oomph, but plenty of the parmesan and if you forget to discard the egg whites, then you end up with scrambled eggs, bacon and pasta!
It's honestly so simple and the quantities of all the ingredients are down to personal preference. His father likes less eggs, his mother likes more milk.
You'll find your own way and it ain't half fun practising. Buon appetito!
I made carbonara for years and years (although not since Aaron came along) and I never ever discarded the egg whites.
You have both shown me the error of my ways.
It was when I made it without Daniele for the first time when he went home at xmas I didn't discard them - and it was mush. He explained on his return! The boys didn't care!
I am just the same, a regular in our house but I add Greek yogurt and keep the egg whites. Going to try this one and make meringues with the egg whites for pudding!
Oh YUM! That sounds and looks immense. I'll definitely be trying that.
It's great to know how it should be done - I thought it would be loaded with cream - and am relieved it isn't!
OMG despite being a rubbish cook (although I do cook from scratch), I think I might actually be able to make this!!!!!
I like to cook from scratch too and this is surprisingly simple - good luck!
I love carbonara - it's so yummy and comforting. And I really enjoyed the originality of your post - getting your tenant to run through the recipe - he he he! :o).
Looks mouth-watering, nowt else to say.
Seems like a jolly nice student also.
Ok, Carbonara it is for us tonight - just need to hook in next door's au pair to make it, as I don't have a foreign student to hand!!
That's good - if I can do it, you can too! Yes, it does open up horizons. I think it's good for the children and it's great news about making such a good friend!
My daughter loves to make Carbonara - I'll be giving her the recipe - sounds yummy!
Perhaps she's got a recipe she could share? It is delish - am always happy to experiment!
I must try this, I've only made carbonara once, and it was a total disaster!
Mine have always been a disaster, but I do love it, hence the nagging him to show us the proper way - good luck!