Spaghetti Carbonara

Last week I got to Friday night and was craving pasta. It was something I’d been craving since my birthday, but didn’t manage to fit in because of all the other delicious things I was eating (not a bad problem to have really). So when it got to the end of the week and I was home at a reasonable hour, I decided it would be fun to make some pasta from scratch and try a different sauce recipe to the couple I’d tried already.

Since we got a pasta maker for Christmas, we’ve had a few times where we’ve whipped out the machine, but this has mainly been for when we’ve had friends around. I initially questioned whether I could be bothered making the pasta from scratch just for two, but then I decided it would be well worth the extra effort to make our Friday night dinner a little more special. We normally eat out or get take out on a Friday, so it was nice to eat in for a change!

The problem was that I’m used to making the pasta for a few people, and it turns out even when I try to make a small quantity I end up making enough pasta to feed an army. I guess this isn’t the worst problem to have, but we did end up with an enormous amount of pasta for two people. It did save us early this week however when we were home late and needed a quick meal…hello leftovers! Obviously I was thinking ahead and being smart about my cooking, it was nothing to do with how excited I got about making pasta that caused me to make way too much (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it).

I always thought making pasta was too much effort, as I’ve always thought of pasta as a quick meal. That was what it was when I was growing up, and so the process of hand making the pasta was quite prohibitive to this. Growing up our ultimate comfort food was tuna pasta which came from the bible of Italian cooking: The Essentials of Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan. It was the meal my parents would make when we got home from a trip, and even though it was simple, it is still one of my favourite pasta dishes because of the nostalgia. Unfortunately my partner doesn’t like canned tuna, so I can’t make this meal for him. But my parents got me the cookbook for Christmas one year and I have since made so many recipes from it because it has it all. Not only will it teach you how to make amazing pasta sauces, but it also steps you through everything you need to know to make the pasta dough itself. Honestly I cannot recommend this cookbook enough. It is one of my favourites andone of the only cookbooks I have that I use regularly. I wish I used it more but I might be the size of a house with all the pasta I’d be consuming.

When deciding what to make, I remembered back to the last pasta dish my partner and I were thinking of making but didn’t get around to: Carbonara. This is a bit of a touchy subject in my household as we both have varied ideas of what carbonara should be, hence we haven’t made it yet. He believes it should have cream in the sauce, but I think of myself as more traditional with an egg based sauce and no cream. He is the italian in our relationship, but it took me getting out this cookbook and showing him the recipe to prove that this was the way to cook carbonara. He still didn’t believe me. So I figured there was no time but the present to show him my version of carbonara and see if I could win him over.

This recipe has been a little changed from the one you’ll find in the Marcella Hazan cookbook, because you know me. If you want her recipe, as well as some great tips on making pasta dough, pick up her cookbook! You won’t regret it. But if you are a fan of prosciutto, white wine and cheese, I know you are going to love my recipe.

I don’t usually cook pasta, and I don’t think I’ve ever cooked carbonara on my own, so I was surprised by how simple it was to make. It really requires very little cooking or effort to get a delicious meal on the table. Now I’ve never cooked the cream version, but I’m sure this one is easier than what it would be to make (I’m just being biased though). I am not a fan of creamy pastas as I find they make my stomach feel sick, so this carbonara was definitely a winner for me. You’d be surprised by how creamy the sauce becomes from the eggs as they cook from the heat of the pasta. I love the process of making the sauce this way, it feels a little more special.

My partner absolutely loved this pasta and so I feel like I really showed him and opened his eyes to another version he was skeptical about. Not that I’ll be trying to make his version, but at least I won this round. The pasta was deliciously decadent without being too rich, and exactly how a carbonara should be. I know traditional ones use pancetta or bacon, but I actually liked the touch of proscuitto instead as it gave the dish a different flavour. I also just really love proscuitto, so there is that small factor.

If you’re looking for a super quick meal that is absolutely delicious, I would look no further than this recipe. It is so simple to make, quick to get on the table, but still full of flavour and absolutely delicious. Perfect when you’re craving some delicious pasta. And if you have the time, I would highly recommend making the pasta from scratch. It really does make a difference and makes the dish that much more delicious.

Until next time, happy eating!

Ella xx