Porchetta Carbonara Recipe · i am a food blog (2024)

When you have a lot of porchetta in the house, you tend to get creative. So far we’ve had sandwiches (delicious), tacos (very tasty), and carbonara (even better than traditional?!). Carbonara is one of my favourite pasta dishes, so it was inevitable that our porchetta ended up in a gorgeous glossy egg and cheese sauce.

Porchetta Carbonara Recipe · i am a food blog (1)

I learned about carbonara from an old boss of mine who, after finding out that I love bacon and eggs, insisted that I had to try carbonara. “It’s like having breakfast for dinner,” she told me. Anything that remotely resembles breakfast for dinner and I’m sold.

Making carbonara is all about timing. Start boiling the pasta first and then get started on crisping up your pork. By the time the pork is crisp, you should be ready to toss the hot pasta with the “sauce.” The heat of the pasta cooks the egg and melts the cheese, causing it to coat and cling to each strand of pasta. If you’ve never had carbonara, you should: crispy bits of pork and a silky, rich sauce make this a must-have dish!

Porchetta Carbonara Recipe · i am a food blog (2)

I am porky, I am egg-y, I am Porchetta Carbonara!

Porchetta Carbonara Recipe
serves 2

  • 1/4 cup chopped porchetta (feel free to use pancetta or bacon)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley, or to taste
  • 4 ounces of your favorite long pasta

Start by boiling a pot of water and then cooking your pasta according to the package. Time it so that everything else is prepared by the time the pasta is cooked.

Fry the porchetta in a small sauté pan over medium heat until it starts to crisp at the edges.

Break the egg into big enough to toss the pasta in. Beat it lightly with a fork, then add the cheese, a liberal grinding of pepper, and the chopped parsley. Mix thoroughly. Add cooked drained spaghetti to the bowl, and toss rapidly, coating the strands well. Add the entire contents of the porchetta pan into the bowl, toss thoroughly again, and enjoy at once.

Porchetta Carbonara Recipe · i am a food blog (3)

13 Comments

  1. Cheoy Lee says:

    April 18, 2012 at 8:16 am

    Looks wonderful, and a subtle twist on the classic ham version too.

    Reply

  2. IGredux says:

    STOP (don’t) IT!!! my brain-eyes-hunger pains will soon overpower me and cause a massive cookery anticipation meltdown!!! you have a sick mind and i am right there with you. no happy tears… yet. :-)

    Reply

  3. Dino says:

    June 17, 2012 at 11:03 am

    Hi, try to add a spoon of double cream in the porchetta pan just a minute before tossing the pasta. It would be more glossy and creamy.
    Nice blog!

    Reply

    1. Alex says:

      October 8, 2017 at 3:31 am

      Yaaaaas! How fabulous does having egg yolk, heavy cream, pecorino or parmesan, black pepper, al-dente pasta and PORCHETTA sound. Thats all I need in life. Please yo’ self!!!!!!

      Reply

  4. July 25, 2012 at 11:12 am

    I think the real italian carbonara has more eggs than porchetta. The creamy texture comes from the melting of grated cheese in the beaten eggs. Once a chef told me not to add any cream!

  5. Don Draper says:

    September 5, 2012 at 3:25 pm

    If I’m cooking for two, I always use one egg per person, at room temperature eggs and always temper the eggs with the water that the pasta was boiled in.

    Reply

    1. Alex says:

      October 8, 2017 at 3:32 am

      Just the yolk though!

      Reply

  6. Photo Guy says:

    August 6, 2013 at 1:38 am

    Beautiful photos and wonderful recipe, looks so filling!

    Reply

  7. yessi says:

    November 30, 2014 at 6:41 pm

    Im a pasta lover can eat it forever if I could just like you like bacon and eggs. My roommate loves eggs as well my roommate can eat it everyday if he could. I will be trying this! I always get hungry see your blog ha!

    Reply

  8. Lauren says:

    January 23, 2015 at 10:42 am

    So I made your porchetta from your beautiful cookbook (!) and was left with lots of leftovers. This looks absolutely delicious. Have you ever tried leftover porchetta and pasta with a tomato based sauce? Not sure if it would drown the porchetta?
    Thanks!

    Reply

    1. steph says:

      January 23, 2015 at 1:15 pm

      hi lauren!! so happy you made it!! it would be absolutely awesome with a tomato based sauce…also, it tastes great in tacos or quesadillas :)

      Reply

  9. Rumbar says:

    November 3, 2020 at 12:30 am

    This not carbonara

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Porchetta Carbonara Recipe · i am a food blog (2024)

FAQs

What is the golden rule of cooking carbonara? ›

The golden rule to silky carbonara is to whisk your egg whites so that they're completely incorporated with the egg yolks. This will create a smooth, velvety sauce. As like any pasta dish, including carbonara, cook the pasta perfectly al dente so that it's soft but still firm, with some bite.

What are the biggest carbonara mistakes? ›

15 Mistakes That Are Ruining Your Carbonara
  • Adding your eggs while the pasta is still on the heat. Anton27/Shutterstock. ...
  • Not coating your pasta completely. ...
  • Using bacon instead of guanciale. ...
  • Not whisking your eggs enough. ...
  • Using parmesan instead of pecorino. ...
  • Not grinding your own pepper. ...
  • Using cold eggs. ...
  • Adding extra ingredients.
Mar 5, 2023

What not to put in carbonara? ›

What not to put in Spaghetti Carbonara? Don't put garlic, cream, milk or butter. It is not needed. It is fine if you want to make a dish with those ingredients, but if you want to learn how to make this dish correctly, use only pecorino, eggs/egg yolks, black pepper, guanciale, and pasta water.

How many eggs should I put in my carbonara? ›

I like to use a ratio of 1 whole egg to 3 egg yolks because it balances the richness. If you are looking to avoid using raw eggs, I would recommend making my Cacio e Pepe recipe – this is another one of the four classic Roman pastas but requires only three ingredients (cheese, pepper, and pasta).

How to stop eggs from scrambling in carbonara? ›

Using a large mixing bowl and setting it over the boiling pasta water to create a makeshift double boiler helps prevent you from accidentally scrambling the eggs.

What is the secret to amazing carbonara? ›

perfect carbonara
  1. Choose a suitable pasta shape! I personally love bucatini, but rigatoni is also great here. ...
  2. Use more yolks—and fresh eggs. ...
  3. Seek pecorino. ...
  4. Cube your cured meat and tender it slowly. ...
  5. Mix the eggs, pepper, and cheese FIRST. ...
  6. Take a break—then use looooow, direct heat. ...
  7. Toss FAST. ...
  8. Do.
Nov 1, 2021

What thickens carbonara? ›

Equally important is that the fat that melts out of the guanciale is required to thicken the carbonara sauce to make it creamy. Basically, what happens is that when the fat from the guanciale and in the egg yolks is mixed with starchy pasta cooking water, it thickens.

Should carbonara have garlic? ›

Must-have ingredients

that there are only five ingredients: pasta, pork cheek, eggs, cheese and pepper. That's it. A real carbonara does not contain onion, garlic, or cream.

When to add egg to carbonara? ›

Take the pan of spaghetti and pancetta off the heat. Now quickly pour in the eggs and cheese. Using the tongs or a long fork, lift up the spaghetti so it mixes easily with the egg mixture, which thickens but doesn't scramble, and everything is coated.

Why is my carbonara not creamy enough? ›

For an extra creamy sauce, it's best to use mostly egg yolks. The egg whites tend to make carbonara watery, but too many egg yolks can make the sauce too custardy. The solution? Five egg yolks and one whole egg.

What vegetable is good in carbonara? ›

There's no weeknight dinner more comforting than creamy, cheesy carbonara. We've added fresh mint, peas and broccoli to give this Italian classic a summery twist. There's no weeknight dinner more comforting than creamy, cheesy carbonara.

Why are there no egg whites in carbonara? ›

So I like to try and go for something very light and summery with few ingredients. So I don't use the egg whites because they make it too stodgy. If your idea of a Carbonara is a thicker creamier dish then you should add egg whites. Although you can achieve the same effect by using more cheese.

Why does my carbonara taste sour? ›

Signs that carbonara sauce has gone bad include a sour or unpleasant odor, visible mold, a significant color change, separation or curdling, an unusual texture, and an off taste. If you notice any of these signs, it's best to discard the sauce to avoid the risk of consuming spoiled food.

What are the rules for carbonara? ›

Advertisem*nt
  1. "Always use guanciale, not bacon – if we meant bacon, we would have gone to the USA (guanciale is the pork cheek, while bacon is part of the belly).
  2. No parmigiano reggiano, just pecorino cheese. ...
  3. Never cook the egg, it is not an omelette! ...
  4. No garlic, no onion, it's not a ragù!
  5. No oil, no butter, no lard.
Apr 8, 2021

Should the egg in carbonara be cooked? ›

The use of thermal processing is the most effective method for Salmonella inactivation in preparations containing eggs. Consequently, according to regulatory agencies, it is generally mandatory that these preparations must be completely cooked to a temperature of at least 70 °C.

Should carbonara not have cream in it? ›

Should carbonara have cream? Typically carbonara sauce is only made of eggs, bacon, parmesan, olive oil, seasoning, and sometimes, vegetables. As for cream, Italians will tell you that is a big no no.

What are the golden rules of cooking pasta? ›

10 rules for perfect pasta. By Matt Preston
  • Use a large, light pot. ...
  • Season your pasta water with lots of salt. ...
  • Never add oil to the boiling water.
  • Add your pasta when the water is bubbling furiously. ...
  • Serve your pasta “al dente”.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Prof. Nancy Dach

Last Updated:

Views: 5948

Rating: 4.7 / 5 (57 voted)

Reviews: 80% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Prof. Nancy Dach

Birthday: 1993-08-23

Address: 569 Waelchi Ports, South Blainebury, LA 11589

Phone: +9958996486049

Job: Sales Manager

Hobby: Web surfing, Scuba diving, Mountaineering, Writing, Sailing, Dance, Blacksmithing

Introduction: My name is Prof. Nancy Dach, I am a lively, joyous, courageous, lovely, tender, charming, open person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.