November 2nd
2008
Funny and strange coincidences definitely spice up life...don't you think so, too? Odd things like bumping into an old friend from school a 1000 miles away from home? Or picking up the phone to call somebody - just to find out that this person wanted to give you a call the very same second and is already in the line? The last memorable coincidence led me to a great restaurant experience as well as a touch-up for a classic pasta recipe and started with a little newspaper reading...
As soon as I stumbled onto this article about the best Spaghetti Carbonara at Roscioli in Rome, my need-to-send-link-mechanism kicked in. Our friends Hande and Theo have moved to Rome this year and with both of them being at least as much into good food and cooking as we are, I was quite positive to have some inside intel, a restaurant recommendation at a minimum. Fine, I wasn't getting my hopes up too high knowing that Hande is never short of culinary tips and secret hideaways. So I almost anticipated an email saying "ha, of course we know Roscioli!". But I didn't expect an immediate reply on the same evening, saying that for one they just had dinner at one of their favorite places - Roscioli! And secondly, they were seated at a table right next to Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel. Now how is that for a coincidence?
Needless to say, Hande took us to Roscioli on the first evening of our recent trip to Rome, just after we enjoyed one of her fantastic wine tastings (if you ever visit the Eternal City, do yourself a favor and book one of her wine tastings, you won't regret it!). At Roscioli, we were especially blown away by the starters, Burrata, Caponata, Insalata di Polpo,... you name it, finger-licking delicious. What got me intrigued though was the pasta, as many of the pasta dishes on their menu stood out by their exotic seasoning and especially the use of different peppercorns. Which, back home, inspired me to spice up my own Carbonara in a similar way - with a fragrant mix consisting of different peppercorns I was able to dig up in my spice box: Cubeb, Sichuan and Rose Pepper. And that's it, a simple yet exciting twist on an old classic - thank you Roscioli :)
Mix all three different peppercorns and crush them in a mortar as finely as desired.
Fill a large stockpot with water and bring to a boil, then add a very generous pinch of salt. Cook pasta according to package directions. Skim off two to three tablespoons of the cooking water halfway through the cooking process and set aside in a bowl (to let it cool off a bit).
Peel the garlic clove and lightly smash it with the blade of a large knife (it shouldn't break apart though, just release some more flavor). Finely slice the guanciale. Heat a pan and fry the guanciale together with the garlic over medium heat (no additional fat needed) until most of the fat has rendered and the stripes have gained some color and turned crisp. Discard the garlic as soon as it's starting to turn brown. Drain the stripes on a paper towel and set aside. Pour the excess fat from the pan into another bowl to let it cool off a bit until further use.
In a bowl beat together the egg yolks and about two thirds of the grated cheese, then add the reserved cooking water (which should have cooled off a bit, otherwise it may cause the eggs to curdle).
Drain the Spaghetti, then toss in a large bowl together with the egg-cheese-mixture and add some of the excess fat. Stir together until the pasta is evenly coated with a smooth and silky film and the cheese has completely melted. Divide onto two plates, then top with the Guanciale stripes, some more grated Pecorino and most importantly: a generous pinch of the ground peppercorn mix. Enjoy immediately!
Recipe source: own creation, Roscioli inspired
Prep time: ~20 minutes
Ingredients (for 2):
.
1/4 tsp Rose pepper
1/4 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
1/4 tsp Cubeb peppercorns
250 g Spaghetti
salt
1 garlic clove
50 - 75 guanciale (or pancetta)
4 very fresh egg yolks
50 - 75 g Pecorino, finely grated (or Parmesan)
Hallo Nicole,
wir sitzten hier gerade mit Ihrem wunderbaren Hefe-Schmand-Kirsch-Kuchen und jetzt diese wunderbare Rezept, aber was (was!!) ist Cubeb-Pfeffer und irgendeine Idee wo wir den bekommen (wir leben leider nicht in München)!
Und noch etwas: Bitte weiter so machen! Vielen Dank für diese Seite, Ihre Energie,Ihren Geschmack!
Marit Chwalczyk aus Dresden
EDIT Nicky: Freut mich, wenn der Kuchen gut angekommen ist :) In Sachen Pfeffer habe ich einfach meine Gewürzbox geplündert und da kam mir ein Geschenk von einer Freundin, die einen Gewürzversand (1001 Gewürze) betreibt, gerade recht... Daher stammt der Kubebenpfeffer (mehr Info dazu), der Sichuanpfeffer stammt aus einem Asia-Laden und beim rosa Pfeffer muß ich passen, sollte allerdings in jedem gut sortierten Supermarkt zu bekommen sein. Aber ich bin mir sicher, dass auch andere Pfeffer-Kombinationen hier gut passen würden.
I love Spaghetti Carbonara, glad you don't use any cream for your recipe like so many people do. The idea to use different peppercorns sounds great, will try, thx!
wow, that sounds fantastic! And easy to make too. I'm jealous you were able to enjoy the "real thing" in Rome but glad to be able to have the recipe to try here!
Carbonara has such a bad rap because of all those horrible bland, gloopy packaged versions. This look so much nicer, plus I bet it is anything but bland with the three pepper mix!
We've been using very coarsely ground pepper a lot to perk up houmous recently if anyone needs a tip for using up the leftover spice
I adore carbonara and I adore peppercorns - will deffo try this one
Yumm, I love carbona's and this one looks particularly good. Reminds me a bit of of Spagetti e Cacio e Peppe
So true - ever since starting my blog, my mind is forever reminding itself to send this link here, and share that link there! Luckily we have carbonaras to reward our hard efforts :) I love the peppery appeal of your version - nothing like a coincidence to spice up life and pepper to spice up a meal...
What an easy way to add a new kick to Carbonara. I haven't cooked with Cubeb pepper so far, but after reading about it I guess black peppercorns could be a substitute?
I love rose pepper - and I love carbonara (it reminds me of the song of Spliff: "Carbonara e una Coca Cola...")! So this is a wonderful combination!!!
This is a dish I've never completely mastered. Usually too salty, too thin, and not quite rich enough. I can't wait to try yours!
Can't go in Roma fot the moment
Instead I am going to try the spaghetti carbonara in pizzeria Europa (Munich Sendling) this week...
Anything that tastes like bacon is alright with me!
I have bacon in the fridge. That would make a great meal this week.
Tried it yesterday - it was delicious!
OMG - this looks, well, delicious and I better not let more than a few days go by before I try to make it. Yum. Thank you!
hmmm... i really love good, home-made carbonara :)
This is a regular on my table, only with black pepper. Guanciale is hard to find where I live, i use regular bacon instead. But I will definitely try the pepper mix!
Liebe Nicky, habe gerade mein Amazon-Päckchen geöffnet - was für ein wunderbares Kochbuch!! Dass die Rezepte gut sind, wusste ich ja schon von Deinem Blog... Aber auch die Gestaltung ist so stimmig, da ist das Durchblättern ein Spass für's Auge... Glückwunsch!
Hi Nicky,
another way to spice up your Carbonara is to use some ginger in combination with the Sichuan Pepper this gives the pasta quite another twist...
oh and once again many thanks for your cookbook. It is really fun to read all the stories and try the recipes. I started with the Gorgonzola Risotto and then moved on to the cakes...I had to fight my friends to get a piece for myself.
keep on the great work
great idea to use guanciale instead of bacon or pancetta. remarkably different flavor and texture, but with that same kind of richness that we crave. luckily, we live near some good providers of charcuterie who carry guanciale regularly.
those crushed peppers look potent!
A simple, delicious looking recipe.
then come and visit your friends! and, while you're here, give me a call and come to sign my copy of your book, with a good cup of coffee.
I have been using the 'new' McCormick Peppercorn Medley Grinders for a couple of years now. They come in many varieties, and are honestly really great. I use them on everything...well, except desserts. They aren't too expensive, so one can afford to 'collect' them all, and surprisingly, the grinder really works. I love different peppers, and some of them add things such as allspice, cinnamon, lemon peel, garlic, etc. in the different blends, of course with all the different peppercorns available. They are well worth using.
Su blog me resulta encantador!
Llevo algunas de sus deliciosas recetas.
Luego le hago saber cómo me salieron a mí, ¿si?
Llego a su sitio por intermedio de TheBOBs.
¡Éxitos!
Saludos afectuosos desde Argentina.
Hallo Nicole,
vielen Dank für das Rezept des Mohnkuchens, der war heute dran und wie schon der Hefe-Schmand-Kuchen köstlich! Wie wärs mit Plätzchenrezepten? Irgendwas in petto? Den Mohnkuchen werd ich demnächst mal mit ein paar Kirschen im Teig abwandeln, mal sehen ob man den noch toppen kann! Schöne Woche wünsche ich Ihnen
Marit Chwalczyk aus Dresden
There are few pasta's like carbonara - I'm a Roman at heart, in soul and this is the way Carbonara should be made!!!!!!!!!
This looks 10 times better than your average carbonara (which I'm already a huge fan of). Thanks!!
I love the range of peppers that you've used, esp my fav - Sichuan Peppercorn! Will you email me? Would love to review your book for my food column in newspaper!
This looks amazing!!! I'm definitly going to check out the Peppercorn bit, as I love pasta and am always looking into doing something different!!!
wow! The pics are stunning and it looks delicious. I'll have to try that. Thanks!
I am an almost 100% roman, coming from a town that's not farther from Rome than 30km and, to be honest, I never saw the garlic used instead of onion. In my experience (my family and friends), pancetta (namely the pork belly, as "guanciale" is recommended for another pillar of central Italy cook: Amatriciana) is lightly fried with carefully chopped white onion and pepper.
Nevertheless, it's worth being tried.
P.S. never write to cook pasta as written on the box: you'll never get the same result. Pasta in the boiling water must be "tasted" from one minute before the nominal time, till you deem it fit to your taste. ... AL DENTE!
EDIT Nicky: Typhoon, I think even the most traditional recipes vary in details, it is like a personal note you give to a recipe. E.g. we have a cake (Kirwakuchen), that is pretty famous in the region where I grew up. My grandma and my aunt Kate never agreed on its seasoning and the use of raisins, although they lived only two streets apart. But I'm sure, each of them would claim her recipe is the most original ;)
And you are definitely right about the pasta. The packaging instruction only offer a vague idea of how long the pasta is supposed to be cooked until al dente - the personal taste is what matters.
Very nice. I have also a site for recipes for cooking. See. I love your recipes. I am from the Slovak Republic. Be translated through Google translate http://www.irecepty.com
Great idea! Will try it out the next time I make Carbonara. Now, only Justin and Jessica are missing ;-)
[...] 10 Euros away from us - or just a trip to the market and some time in the kitchen. And we do love “our” Roscioli, but there is still so much to try out there. Fried muscles with sepia crunch and carrot [...]
Ein absolut leckeres Gericht, der beste Ehemann von allen hat die Gewürze dafür aus München mitgebracht.
Danke für dieses Super-Rezept, ich hab's nachgekocht, einfach nur gut
Is pepper known to be adictive? I feel as though I am totally addicted! I have to have it only everything. I reckon it lifts a dish even more than salt. The mixture of pepper corns is my favourite as it gives even more of a fragrant hit. Thank you so much for the recipe.
[...] Im Winter ist es kalt und was gibt es schöneres, als ein Gericht, das die Lebensgeister weckt? Ulrike kocht Pasta mit drei unterschiedlichen Pfeffersorten von deliciousdays. Fremdgekocht: ostwestwind.twoday.net Original: http://www.deliciousdays.com [...]
try the pepper-mix in metaballs. it's also delicious with roasted fennel.
[...] Spaghetti Carbonara, die ich schon vor einiger Zeit bei delicious:days gesehen habe, wollte ich unbedingt mal [...]
[...] Irgendjemandem nachgekocht. Spaghetti alla carbonara mit 3 Pfeffersorten. Aber wem ? Bei Nicole von delicious:days und Ulrike von Küchenlatein vor einiger Zeit gesehen. Spaghetti geht immer, besonders, wenns [...]
Beautiful! C'est vraiment divin.