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Regional delight

Humble carbonara is simple and elegant
From the chef | Search restaurants | Archives

August 15th, 2007 issue

VLADIMÍR WEISS/THE PRAGUE POST
There's nothing like Italian comfort food: allowing good ingredients stand out.
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When flipping through recipes or glancing at the menu in an Italian restaurant, you will often see terms like Bolognese, marinara, Amatriciana and so forth. Each refers to a region or style of cooking.
Carbonara is one of the more popular styles in Western Europe and the United States, in part for its simplicity, but also for the astounding flavor and texture created by a few minutes’ work. Some say carbonara sauce emerged from mining towns and the need to make hearty meals from a few basic ingredients. Others will tell you the word relates to “carbonized” bacon, or even that flecks of pepper look like coal dust.
Really, taste matters more than etymology. Besides, cooks wage more pertinent disputes, such as whether or not authentic carbonara sauce is made with cream. Olive oil, lard and butter also appear in recipe books as the agent whisked with eggs.
Any way you choose to prepare it, the essentials remain the same: eggs, bacon and fat, with the heat from the pasta “cooking” the sauce into a silky coating.
Guanciale bacon is cured without smoke for a delicate texture and more natural flavor. If you must, substitute pancetta — American- or British-style smoked bacon may mask the gentle taste of egg and cream.
Chef Vito Mollica’s recipe includes fava beans. But, he says, “They can be replaced with either zucchini or asparagus if necessary.”
Vito Mollica is chef at Allegro in the Four Seasons Hotel, located at Veleslavínova 2a, Prague 1–Old Town. Tel. 221 427 000

PACCHERI CARBONARA WITH FAVA BEANS

Ingredients:
(Serves four)
320 grams (11.3 ounces) Paccheri pasta (you can substitute another pasta shape)
4 egg yolks
250 grams fresh cream
120 grams guanciale bacon (you can substitute with pancetta)
300 grams fava beans
80 grams Parmigiano Reggiano cheese           
Salt and pepper
Preparation:
Keep eggs, cream and grated cheese at room temperature for at least one hour.
Prepare carbonara sauce in a small bowl by whisking egg yolk, cheese and fresh cream, seasoned with salt and pepper.
Sauteé guanciale bacon over low heat until crispy. Remove bacon from pan and transfer to another dish, leaving fat in the pan.
Peel fava beans. Add some hot water to pan and cook the beans.
Cook pasta in boiling salted water (different pan) just to the al dente point. When the pasta is ready, drain and add to pan with the fava beans. Toss well and add the carbonara sauce.
Cook at a very low temperature — you can’t risk overcooking the egg yolks.
Serve and garnish with crispy guanciale on top.


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