Free Recipe: Authentic Pasta Carbonara by Karen Martini

Authentic Pasta Carbonara by Karen Martini from her amazing new cookbook, New Kitchen

The first spaghetti ‘carbonara’ I ever ate was on Lygon Street back in the … let’s just say it was the eighties. A massive bowl of pasta swimming in cream with plenty of bacon, sliced button mushrooms and the unmistakable aroma of jarred garlic. I wouldn’t say I minded it much back then, but, over the years, I realised I could definitely do better. Firstly, out with the mushrooms, in with fresh garlic and a lighter hand with the cream. A bit later, the bacon or pancetta had to be the best I could get, as did the pasta, and it had to be al dente. Later came a little dried chilli, and the cream faded to a trickle to subtly enrich the golden egg yolks. Today, it is far more authentic. No cream, just the most luscious organic yolks, the best oil and the best cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano – indulgent, I know). Simple and just so beautiful. I cooked this version for my mother one day. Her response? ‘This isn’t carbonara! Where are the mushrooms?’ Sometimes you just can’t win. To fully redeem that old memory, try this with my Garlic Bread.

Ingredients:

500 g strozzapreti (or quality pasta of your choice)

6 extra-large egg yolks

120 ml extra-virgin olive oil salt flakes and freshly ground

black pepper

10 thick slices of pancetta (or dry-cured bacon), cut into lardons

4 garlic cloves, finely sliced 150 g Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated

chilli flakes, to serve

Method:

Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente.

Meanwhile, lightly beat the egg yolks, 2 tablespoons of the oil and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl.

Add the remaining oil to a large frying pan over medium heat and fry the pancetta until crisp, about 5 minutes – don’t worry about this being oily, it’s integral to building the sauce. Add the garlic and fry for a minute or so until lightly golden and fragrant. Lift the cooked pasta directly from the pot into the pan, season with salt and pepper, toss to combine and take off the heat.

Tip the yolk mix into the pan and immediately toss through until evenly coated. Add a handful of Parmigiano-Reggiano and toss through quickly. Divide the pasta between serving bowls, sprinkle over some chilli flakes and serve with the remaining Parmigiano- Reggiano on the side.

SERVES 4

For more on New Kitchen or to purchase a copy click here

Synopsis

In New Kitchen, Karen Martini draws inspiration from around the globe as well as locally, and looks at the culinary factors influencing us all, from our love of wholefoods to our desire to learn how to make things from scratch once again.Full of instruction, advice and stunningly photographed recipes, this book illustrates what it is to cook and eat in the modern Australian kitchen.

Karen Martini

Karen Martini is the author of six top-selling cookbooks and enjoys a huge following through her weekly recipe feature in Fairfax's Good Food/Epicure liftouts, her role on the smash-hit series My Kitchen Rules, and her long-running segment as resident chef on Channel 7's popular and award-winning Better Homes and Gardens. Karen's recipes are collected, stuck on the fridge and cooked in kitchens around the country every day.

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