I have made carbonara a few times now, and im feeling increasingly confident with the process. Ive been playing around with different bacon, noodle shapes (not shown here), amount of egg yolk, including egg whites too sometimes, and all kinds of stuff. So, sometimes its too thick, too salty, or too watery, or not enough egg… you get it. Im trying to figure out a balance
Does anyone have any “golden ratio” or just tips in general they can share on how to make perfect carbonara every time?
Thank you so much!
by Werptwerpp
9 Comments
Use a bigger pan it sounds crazy but it will make a big difference
I tend to use 3 yolks per serving, 70-100 grams of guanciale and 100 to 150 grams of pasta. Pecorino and black pepper by eye. Sauce too thin? Bit more heat. Sauce too thick? Bit of pasta water to the sauce and toss like there’s no tomorrow
One egg yolk per 50g of pasta.
i use whole eggs. big flat pan. more pasta water will spread out and thicken the sauce so you get more cling. big flat pan for the pasta means less water and more starch ratio as well
I try to make the sauce with a Bain-Marie technique (nothing fancy) on the pasta boiling pot as the pasta boils and wisk consinstently and observe the parmigiano and pecorino slowly dissolve in the sauce. DO NOT leave it on the indirect heat. Put on it wisk a bit then put off and keep wisking then on again, till pasta is ready. If it is too thick I add pasta water till I get consistency I like. I checked some chefs say a big yolk per person, as I make ungodly amounts of pasta I put one whole egg and one yolk. ENJOY!
The thing that really changed how good my carbonara turned out was the method. Watched a video by one of the chefs at fallow. Instead of adding the liquid egg yolk and cheese mixture right away, he dumps the strained pasta into the pan with the guanciale, and emulsifies a sauce first with just pasta water and the fat from the guanciale. Then after letting that go for a couple minutes and thinning the fat around the pan add the egg and yolk mixture. I can’t explain why it works so well but I’d guess the fat is more properly distributed so you get a more glossy finish guarunteed. Hope that helps.
Looks lovely and glossy
Carbonara is so simple that the difference between good and great comes down to minor details. Here are a few things that have improved mine:
– Make the sauce in a bain marie, whisking continuously so the egg yolks don’t scramble. Gives you much more control over consistency and seasoning. You can taste and adjust without the pasta in the way.
– Don’t salt your pasta water too heavily. The usual “pasta water should be as salty as the sea” adage doesn’t apply with carbonara. Parmesan and guanciale are both major sources of salt, and very salty water will leave the end dish overseasoned.
– I use only yolks, no whites, and I make a lot of sauce. I want enough left over that I can drag bread across the bottom of the plate to mop up the excess at the end of the meal.
– Toast a 50:50 mix of whole black and white peppercorns in a dry pan, then crush them into big, irregular pieces. I use a pestle and mortar. You can also spread them on a cutting board and crush them with the bottom of the frying pan.
– Add more pepper than you think you need. It’s the only balancing ingredient in the dish; everything else is rich and fatty, so you really need to lean on the pepper for a harmonious end result.
– This is not traditional, but I finish the sauce by whisking in a couple cubes of cold butter. It produces a lovely, glossy shine.
1 entire egg. Then an egg yolk for each person/80-100g of pasta.