Rome's Iconic dishes
Carciofi and Carbonara. Can they be replicated at home?
When I teach a class or now make a recipe video, the hardest thing for me to immagine is what kind of ingredients do the people making the recipes have access to at home.
So many recipes in Italy are a simple short list of ingredients, but the recipe depends on the quality of the ingredients to really shine.
I have been to Rome many times and had carbonara in many different kinds of restaurants with various pasta shapes and techniques for making the recipe.
We also have home versions and then multiply that by the number of mom’s there are, the versions are endless. This week’s recipe is a perfect example about attention to detail and ingredients. Of course we can make the carbonara with grocery store eggs and dry pasta.
It’s traditional to use the pork jowl,Guanciale. I may substitute Pancetta, but neither are bacon.To me, if you change ingredients it’s ok, but people need to know it’s your version or that you were inspired by the carbonara you had in Rome.
One of my local Tuscan Butchers in now in the USA and makes Guanciale as well as other wonderful products!
The trattoria EGG makes a vegetarian version, but yes, you can use the technique to make a wonderful pasta with a egg emulsion as a sauce! Be inspired. Be creative. But also know what the original recipe is so your not surprised when you order it here in Italy.
This versions is using the best of the best ingredients and a skilled hand and an unusual technique to make the sauce. If you go to Rome, I think it’s worth the 18 euro to try it! We had an appetizer and the pasta. Next time I will go for one of their main courses. The chef, Luciano Monosilio is young and full of passion.
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Next month’s market tour is taking us to the Tuscan coast, Livorno!