Yes, everybody makes basic cooking mistakes. Like, say, something as simple as overcooking mushrooms or toasting grains and spices. Below, reader Marcy confesses clumpy carbonara to associate food editor Rick Martinez. Welcome to Effed it Up.
Dear Rick,
To be honest: I kind of winged my version of carbonara. I used bacon instead of proper guanciale or pancetta (it was what I had on hand), two eggs, and about ¼ cup of Parmesan. The stove heat was off when I added the mixture to the pot, and it all congealed into a stringy (bad bad bad) scrambled egg mess. I didn’t know if I could reverse it? I didn’t even know what I did wrong. Maybe I should’ve saved some pasta water, or mixed it all in a colder vessel, or added more eggs? I’m not sure. Help.
Thanks,
Marcy
Dear Marcy,
Because this is a safe space we'll just tell it to you straight: Stringy eggs and pasta don't mix. Thankfully there is a totally easy fix and we will have you tossing carbonara like a Roman nonna in no time.
Carbonara is a rich and delicious egg, cheese, and pork pasta dish originating in Rome in the mid-20th century. The word carbonara is derived from carbonaro (the Italian word for "charcoal burner"). Some believe the dish was created as a tribute to Italian coal miners; others believe the pasta was a way for families who could not afford meat to add protein to their pasta while using whatever meats (usually guanciale or pancetta) and cheeses (Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano) they had on hand.
Winter Squash Carbonara with Pancetta and Sage. Photo: Christina Holmes
Like recipes for Sunday sauce, recipes and methods for making carbonara vary *wildly* in terms of the number of whole eggs, whites, and yolks used—ranging from as few as two eggs to as many as eight. There is only one thing on which they can all agree: the ratio of pasta to pork and cheese. For every one pound pasta, there should be a half pound of guanciale or pancetta and ½ cup to 1 cup of Pecorino Romano or Pamigiano-Reggiano.
You want enough eggs for optimal sauce richness and creaminess, but too many makes the dish taste like a pasta custard; the eggs mute the flavor of the pork and cheese. Beyond taste, the eggs play a major role in the formation of the silky sauce. The whites of the egg combine with the starch in the pasta water to add viscosity to the sauce while the yolk adds richness and flavor. Because egg yolks are a powerful emulsifier, they also help bind the fat from the pork to the sauce, creating a smooth, velvety texture without any separation.
Another significant variation in these recipes is the way the eggs are cooked and the sauce is prepared. Some recipes use heated bowls. Some swear by tossing in the skillet you used to cook pancetta. Others suggest mixing it all up in the pasta pot the way you did, Marcy. The difficulty is that you need enough heat to melt the cheese and thicken the egg but not enough that you scramble the egg, which will start to happen at 145°F.
Delicata Squash Carbonara. Photo: Peden + Munk
