Tagliatelle Carbonara

There are two dishes we always order when we’re in Rome. The first is bucatini al’amatriciana, a robust combination of tomatoes, onions, and bacon. The second is tagliatelle carbonara or tagliatelle alla carbonara – a dish so delicious that to us, it’s perfection on a plate.

The dish is utter simplicity – butter, cheese, eggs, black pepper, and bacon. But almost everything about carbonara is disputed, including the name, its origins, the correct ingredients, and its preparation. The only thing that everyone agrees on is the addictive nature of the dish.

The name is derived from the Latin for charcoal but no one can agree on the exact etymology. Some think that coal workers created the dish with ingredients they could transport and obtain easily. Others believe the dish was so named because it was prepared over a charcoal fire.

Because a recipe for carbonara wasn’t included in Ada Boni’s seminal 1927 book, La Cucina Romana, it’s assumed that the dish must be more recent than that. And many food historians think that carbonara was invented when Americans shared their rations of bacon and powdered eggs with their Roman friends. Whatever it’s origins, when properly made it’s a masterpiece of subtlety and balance in which each ingredient shines simultaneously.

As far as the ingredients go, there’s really no consensus, even in Italy. Any pasta will do, although tagliatelle and spaghetti are the most popular. In some ways, penne is preferable because it’s easier to toss with the sauce.

Many Italian cooks use guanciale, which is made with pig’s jowls, instead of the more common pancetta. But slab bacon is also acceptable. Sometimes, the bacon is rendered in olive oil, and sometimes it’s sautéed in butter.

Pancetta

Onions and garlic may or may not be used. And the liquid used to thin the sauce can either be pasta water, white wine, or chicken stock, which is preferred by Lydia Bastian — no slouch when it comes to Roman food.

It’s important to use the best quality eggs you can find. If you have a local farmer’s market selling free range eggs, you’ll be able to tell the difference. Some cooks separate them, some cooks beat them, and some just break them into the dish.

Taking the sauté pan off the heat when you add the eggs is key in keeping them from scrambling.

Cheese can either be Pecorino Romano, Parmigiano Reggiano, or a mixture of both. Americans often add whipping cream, which Italians eschew.

Since there are so many ways to make carbonara, there’s not much agreement on where to sample the best carbonara in Rome. But Perilli, Roscioli, Nerone, and Danilo are all good bets.

If you‘re not going to Rome, here’s how to make tagliatelle or spaghetti carbonara at home:

· Boil 6 quarts of salted water and cook 1 pound of pasta until al dente

· In the meantime, sauté 4 ounces of diced guanciale and two cloves of crushed garlic in 2 tablespoons of olive oil

· Drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of pasta water

· Remove the garlic from the pan and add the pasta with about ¼ cup of water

· Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 1-1/4 cups of grated cheese and four eggs

· Toss well to make sure every strand of pasta is coated with the sauce

· Top with copious amount of freshly ground black pepper

· Serve with extra grated cheese

Find more Roman food and wine tips.

Tagliatelle Carbonara Image Flickr: FotoosVanRobin
Pancetta Image Flickr: ChefMattRock

Zucchini blossoms

The best way to experience Roman cooking, aside from eating in all those fabulous Italian restaurants, is to do it yourself at one of Rome’s lively cooking classes. Not only will you learn to make Italian foods like fried zucchini blossoms, risotto, and panna cotta, you’ll also make new friends and have a terrific meal.

From a half-day cooking class to a week-long culinary program, there are plenty of options to choose from. And many include field trips to local food purveyors.

Diane Seed has written several best-selling Italian cookbooks, including The Top 100 Pasta Sauces and Roman Kitchen. Although British, she has lived in Rome for 30 years on the top floor of a Renaissance Palazzo overlooking the Forum.

She knows Rome and Italian cooking inside out, and her students rave about her delightful insights into Roman culture.

Tomatoes at Campo dei Fiori market

Her morning classes include a visit to the Campo de Fiori market and lunch prepared by the students. Her five-day courses run from 10:30AM to 2PM on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, and from 6:30PM to 9:30PM on Wednesday. Two- and three-day classes can sometimes be arranged. Details are available at http://www.italiangourmet.com/index2.php?cPath=21

Torre di Babelle is a language school that also offers cooking classes in Rome. Students in their three-hour course prepare an aperitif, appetizer, first course (usually a pasta), second course, vegetable, and dessert. Get more information at http://www.torredibabele.com/cooking.htm.

Chef Andrea Consoli teaches 3-4 hour classes at La Fate restaurant in the Trastevere neighborhood. Students prepare a four-course meal in the kitchen of the restaurant and then enjoy it together. Andrea is a real charmer, and at just 50 Euros per person, his classes are a real bargain.

Tagliatelle Carbonara

The day begins with a trip to the market in the Testaccio quarter and a visit to the Volpetti shop. There’s no menu planned for the class — students just pick up whatever looks best at the market and then take the bus back to Maureen’s place, where they prepare lunch together. Contact her at info@maureenbfant.com.

Those who don’t want to cook but want to learn more about dining in Rome can take one of her Eat Like the Romans Eat offered by Context. Find out more at http://www.contexttravel.com/rome/tours/cuisine/

Find more things to do in Rome here.

Zucchini blossoms Image Flickr: ljcybergal
Tomatoes at Campo dei Fiori market Image Flickr: hslo
Tagliatelle Carbonara Image Flickr: FotoosVanRobin

Italian Pizza Oven

Everyone loves Italian food, and sampling the local specialties is one of the best parts of traveling to Italy.  Each of Italy’s regions has its own distinctive cuisine, and Italian restaurants run the gamut from elegant to earthy.

Here are the dishes you don’t want to miss if you travel to Italy.

Roman food.

Known for its rustic comfort food, Rome serves some of the meatiest  meals in the country.  But vegetarians will appreciate the abundance of fresh produce that’s always available.  In spring, artichokes (carciofi) appear on virtually every menu, a dozen different ways.  In late summer and fall, deep fried zucchini (zucca) flowers stuffed with cheese and a little anchovy paste are extremely popular.  A Fritto Misto or mixed, fried antipasto might include both.  Fried rice croquettes (Suppli di Riso) and Gnocchi are other good non-meat choices.  The two quintessential Roman pasta dishes are Bucatini all’Amatricani, made with pancetta, tomatoes, and onions, and Spaghetti alla Carbonara, made with pancetta, eggs, and Parmesan cheese.  Although most Americans shy away from organ meats, offal is an essential part of Roman cuisine.  If you’re not that adventurous, try Salimbocca, veal cutlets stuffed with ham, cheese, and sage.  Or Porchetta, roast suckling pig.  And if you have any room left over, order the local cheescake, Torta di Ricotta.

Naples food.

Southern Italy serves the dishes most Americans think of as typically Italian.  Lots of tomatoes, garlic, onions, herbs, and cheese.   Neapolitan pizza is the best you’ll ever eat, and you owe it to yourself to have it several times.  The nearness of the Mediterranean means that seafood is prevalent.  Squid (calamari), shrimp (gamberetti), and mussels (cozze) are all wonderful dressed with lemon juice and olive oil.  Simply grilled fresh swordfish is also frequently available.   Neapolitan cuisine downplays meat, but cheese, especially mozzarella, is front and center.   It’s essential to local favorites like Eggplant Parmesan (Parmigiana di Melanzane), Lasagna, and Pasta alla Sorrentina.  For dessert, have Sfogliatelle, puff pastry shells filled with ricotta cheese and almond paste.   Citrus is an important crop here, and this area is the home of Limoncello.  Have a glass before or after your meal. Look here to learn all about Neapolitan pizza.

Sicilian food.

Sicilian desserts

If you love big, bold flavors, Sicily is the spot.  As you’d expect on an island, fresh seafood is the star, with sardines, tuna, and swordfish on every menu.  You won’t find much meat, but vegetables are always available.  Try Caponata, which combines tomatoes, peppers, onions, and olives.  And Panelle, a snack made from fried garbanzo beans.  Sicily also has terrific desserts, the most famous of which is the Sicilian Cassata made with ricotta cheese, candied fruits, and nuts.  Riccota-filled Cannoli and Almond Biscuits are also delicious.

Tuscan food.

You won’t find heavy sauces or elaborate preparations in Florence and the surrounding area.  Just simply grilled meats, fresh vegetables, and lots of beans (fagioli).  The best beef in Italy is raised here, and Bistecca alla Fiorentina — steak marinated in garlic, herbs, and olive oil and then grilled over charcoal — is the way to try it.   Of course, Tuscany is also noted for its marvelous red wines, so be sure to order some Chianti or Montepulciano.  Wild boar , rabbit, duck, and cured meats, especially Parma ham, are also good choices, as is Baccala, or salt cod, mixed with tomatoes and garlic and cooked in an earthenware pot.  For lunch, try Panzanella, a salad of toasted bread, tomatoes, and basil, or Pappa al Pomodoro, a thick tomato soup.  Bologna’s major contribution to Italian cuisine is Spaghetti al Ragu, pasta enrobed in a rich meat sauce.  Sample either lemon tart or Panforte, a delectable spice cake, for dessert.

Other Italian dishes you should try include Trenette al Pesto and Pansoti with Walnut Sauce from the coastal region outside of Genoa.  Manzo Brasato at Barolo, beef braised in Barolo wine, from Piedmont.  And risotto and Costolette alla Milanese, rice with wine, onions, and Parmesan cheese and breaded veal cutlets from Milan.

To help plan your next trip to Italy look here. And for more information about traveling in Italy read here.