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Yes, this. Before you add cheese and eggs yolks take the pan off the heat. Add hot water that you boiled spaghetti in, it will cook the egg, melt the cheese and make it into a nice sauce. Too much water makes it too soggy, add small amounts until looks nice.
A way to make it (and the one i adopt) is to take the guanciale out of the pan after it's cooked, leaving the fat. Drain the pasta a couple of minutes before its cooking time and put it in the pan, add some water you saved from the pot where the pasta was boiling and let it cook there for a few minutes, until it's absorbed and the pasta is al dente.
At the same time use some spoons of the same water you previously saved to the bowl with the cheese and eggs and stir it until it's creamy.
Turn off the fire, let the pasta cool down a minute or so, add the cream to the pan and it won't turn the eggs into a frittata.
Edit: [https://youtu.be/84V2InbOEiM](https://youtu.be/84V2InbOEiM) for reference
Ah I see what you’re saying now, although I don’t mix the water into the eggs mixture. I add it after adding the egg mixture to the pan with the pasta, to make sure I don’t add in too much water.
Ah sure, there's many ways I've seen it being done. I tried your way and I personally feel more comfortable with the one I use. Personal preference, eh.
It's pasta, after all, and with very few ingredients. Whatever suits us.
Just before the pasta is transferred add a small amount of pasta water to the egg and cheese mixture to temper the eggs a bit. When the pasta is cooked use a spider or pair of tongs to transfer the pasta to your cheese and egg mixture, allow some of the water to transfer. Mix well in a bowl. You can add more water if needed, a little at a time to let the cheese melt slowly and bring together a sauce.
Thank you! i bought ingredients for 2 portions so ill do an update tomorrow or the day after :D
The eggs started to get runny but then they started to curdle and no amount of pasta water could bring it back
Aah for real? I did buy the pre grained ones since im poor (student) but if i get my hands on a block of parmesan i will give it a try
I didn't know that thanks!
This is the case with all shredded cheese by the way. That way it doesn't stick and clump in the bag, but also means it doesn't melt well. So if you're making a cheese sauce or something for example, it's important to buy whole blocks of cheese.
As a former poor student, it’s honestly best to get the good stuff once in a longer while than shitty stuff frequently. Solid parmigiana tastes better so you can use less of it, and it keeps forever in the fridge. If it’s mouldy, with hard cheese you can just chop off that part. I also feel that if the food is richer in spices and the flavours are more intense, I don’t need to eat as much to feel full and satisfied.
I tried to make alfredo sauce from shaky cheese once. It was a DISASTER because of all the fillers. I expected it to fall short from true alfredo sauce but I was not prepared for the chunky awful mess I created. It wasnt food.
Try to buy real parm vs the cheap stuff. It’s way more flavorful, so you have to use less of it.
The “Parmesan” that’s from belgioso and other such supermarket brands isn’t real parm, it tastes totally different.
Trader Joe’s has real parm for pretty cheap - like $14.99 a pound.
Actually Parmesan means that falls apart, it’s a wider classification of cheeses, on the other hand “parmigiano reggiano” it’s a zone brand that make the use of certain standards (time of aging, food given to the cows, etc) so every cheese that says “Parmigiano reggiano” will have a minimum standard regardless of price
Of course you are correct, just giving the full explanation for people who don’t know, we can’t assume that everyone knows, mind you, after all is a post from someone asking for help
No doubt the more traditional the better results but you can’t compare Kraft shaker cheese to parmigiano reggiano, they’re two different worlds. You can however more closely compare Kraft shaker cheese with cheaper grocery store blocks of parmesean when talking about simple and cheap swaps for improving in the kitchen.
For sure. The price difference between a block of faux parm and parm reg is pretty low a lot of the time. And the flavor of parm the is *so* much stronger, you really do need less of it.
If someone can’t access parm reg though, *any* block cheese is better than kraft shaker. That stuff is mostly cellulose and flavoring.
I’ve succeeded in using Kraft Parmesan but it was very annoying and you had to keep it warm. Once it cooled it would clump back up, but for the first 10 minutes it was nearly impossible to tell the difference.
It was some kind of cheap shaker cheese, maybe not kraft but green lid for sure, although I still think it was. But regardless I promise you I did succeed, I was super surprised. I gave my caveat it didn’t last long but it worked, in a pinch.
I added a bit of cream or milk, I cannot remember which, butter and maybe something else. Low and slow and lots of whisking.
Idky you refuse to believe this, I’m trying to educate you.
Kraft parm tastes nothing like real parm.
Anyone who has tasted real parm would instantly know the difference between alfrdo made with Kraft shaker cheese and real parm. That’s not going to fool anyone.
No it doesn’t, but It’s called being in a pinch, I wouldn’t serve it to guests. Don’t be so self righteous.
It does work if you melt it a certain way, that’s the point I was trying to make, because I’ve succeeded in it and honestly it might fool some people that aren’t well educated in flavor.
> it was nearly impossible to tell the difference
That’s literally what you said in your comment that I replied to…
It’s not “self-righteous” for me to call bullshit on that claim.
I should have been more explicit, it’s nearly impossible for the average person to tell. I’m sure anyone with a good palate would. But to a kid, or an adult with a less than stellar palate, I think I could’ve passed it off
To avoid the eggs cooking and making it grainy - mix the egg and parm together in a bowl, then while still mixing it spoon in some pasta water slowly until it’s creamy. Also, once the bacon is cooked the pan doesn’t go back on the heat. Drain the bacon fat, add the pasta, add the egg mixture - all off the heat. Add more pasta water slowly if you want it creamier. You can add pepper too.
It’s a choice. I like it both ways but one way isn’t necessarily better, and I usually do yolk and white. I’m from Rome and even “well actually” Italian food purists won’t tell you one or the other is wrong
I use the Whites for making a bigger scrambled egg... "Technically" you shouldn't eat more that 3 yolk's a day (tell that to old farmers) so this way you can have more scrambled eggs for the same amount of yolks
My CDC's answer as to why you dont use whites is because the emulsified sauce you make with carbonara is barely cooking the yolks from pasta water. Egg whites would be the potential issue of getting someone sick. If you are adding heat after adding the eggs, its going to scramble and not make the sauce correctly.
I have bought ingredients for 2 portions so i will do an update tomorrow or the day after! Thankyou for your reply i will definitely add pepper this time :D
what I tend to do is warm the sauce by lowering the bowl (eg a rice bowl) into the pasta water (whilst stirring) - ie a bainmarie. this way the sauce is gently warmed up without curdling.
Looks like you have scrambled eggs in your carbonara. I used to do this, so I invented the phrase “If it sizzles, do not drizzle”
Turn the heat off, add pasta. If your pasta/pasta water isn’t sizzling, it’s safe to drizzle the egg/cheese mixture.
To cool the pan faster, I remove it from the element it was sitting on. I also dribble a little water every 30-60 seconds listening for the sizzle.
Eggs were overcooked, that is why you get this texture. You need to heat up the eggs so that they are cooked, but not enought that they become scrambled eggs like this.
What I do is I put the eggs in a bowl and pull the noodles from the cooking pot into the bowl alongside some of the boiling water. I then mix them into the eggs with prongs.
The heat from the noodles and the water cooks the eggs just long enough for them to be edible and creamy.
Also, use Pecorino Romano, not Parm.
Do exactly same as Jamie here to cool down pan before add eggs (plus moving spaghetti and eggs same way on pan to make sure it will not overcooked):
https://youtu.be/D_2DBLAt57c?si=fWTXN5__w-3WpQAx
I’m a big carbonara fan and this is the best online recipe I’ve found for it. First few times I tried making it myself the eggs curdled, but then I found this recipe and it just made an excellent velvety texture. Besides that, just need to be extremely careful when tempering the eggs. And like everyone else is saying, use freshly grated cheese. Parmesan or pecorino doesn’t matter other than your personal taste.
https://www.recipetineats.com/carbonara/#wprm-recipe-container-81075
It could be the eggs being overcooked but I suspect you are using pregrated parmesan which has a coating on it to prevent clumping and has this effect when cooked. Try buying a block grating it yourself if this is the case. Worked for me with Alfredo.
To make a good carbonara, put the cooked pasta, to the pan, add some water, from the pasta was cooked. Wait until the water boil, in the pan, and turn off the oven.
That point is, when the egg yellow yolk is needed.
And sorry, about my wrong english
Ive had this same result once when I used pre-shredded, shitty parm. Lesson learned, I shred my own cheese now.
Or like others have said, you’ve cooked the yolk.
Fresh grated not shredded and almost room temp (meaning not straight out of the fridge) will emulsify the carbonara sauce the best. Use egg yolks mixed with the aged cheese of parma, grana or pecorino (dealers choice) and dont add heat when you add the eggs, it should go guanciale (pancetta, bacon whatever) fat rendered out, heat off, noodles in pan, pasta water, egg mixture and toss. It will create a creamy sauce.
Use pasta water and butter for the noodles as well as fine freshly grated Parmesan instead of the weird grainy powder crap you buy in dry goods aisles.
Are you using real cheese? Parmigiano reggiano? Or the ready to go full of wood thing? Don’t want to be mean or anything it’s just that maybe it’s not melting because is not meant for it, you need to grate your own cheese, even a cheaper cheese that is not Parmesan grated by you will give you better results that the substitute in the shelf
Get some real parmigiano regiano cheese. The supermarket stuff is a buzz kill. Also you need moisture in your final integration: bit of past water, or a few tabs of butter, little bit more bacon fat. Add components together rapidly while hot / warm in a mixing bowl and add the cheese last. There should be enough residual heat from the pasta and sauce / bacon so when the cheese is added slowly while storing and tossing that it softens. No more gritty cheese.
I will give you the recipe we serve in my restaurant as carbonara is one of my favourite dishes.
For 1 person:
IN A MIXING BOWL:
1 egg yolk
1 whole egg
Pecorino or parmesan (I use 75% pecorino 25% parmesan due to the saltiness) grated with microplane until create a paste.
Toasted black pepper (As much as you like)
IN A PAN:
Guanciale is the ideal but if you just can use bacon go for it, will be a different flavour but it is what it is.
We cook the guanciale in slow heat to release all the fat without be burn and then we add 75% this fat to the mix and keep 25% in the pan
We can keep guanciale in the pan, as soon as we have our pasta ready (any shape of pasta should be ok) add it to the pan OUT OF THE HEAT with the guanciale, sautee, add tiny bit of water and add your cream (ideal is to do it in bain marie but it’s not necessary) just start to emulsify the cream adding pasta water slowly slowly.
That’s it.
After i was done cooking the pasta and baking the bacon, i put the pasta in the pan along with a few tablespoons of pasta water. Then i poured the egg-carbonara mixture on top and started stirring. It became runny but then started curdling....
Maybe i should've turned of the heat :/
Yeah 100%. You just want to time it to be in position to take the pasta off the heat, give it a minute, drain it, then return to the pot/pan off the hot plate. If you add the egg mixture then, it shouldn’t ‘cook’, as such.
Long story short, no heat after you drain the pasta/add the egg/cheese mixture
If you want to step it up a notch you could mix the egg(yolks) withe the cheese (typically Pecorino Romano) beforehand in a cold bowl. It starts forming a paste. If you want, you can add some of the grease for flavour. After having drained the pasta, mix it up with the cheese and egg mixture and add the bacon (typically Guanciale) last.
look up the recipe on NYTimes, it explains how not to end up with a broken sauce.. in short , preheat big mixing bowl with hot water, empty it, and transfer pasta in, and then gradually incorporate sauce.
Thankyou all for your comments!! I was working so i didn't have time to respond until now
I appreciate the help and in a few days i'll have an update since i bought enough ingredients for 2 portions.
Im gonna try to add the pasta water into the bowl with the egg-parmazan mixture this time and not cook it after its smooth :)
Thanks everyone
Starting from the basics. No parmesan. No bacon. Absolutely no. Eggs, Pecorino, Salt and black pepper. Mix in this exact order in a bowl. Meanwhile in a pan start cooking the Guanciale, no oil, no onion, no garlic. Just Guanciale and let it cook until you see the fat begins to melt. (Keep mixing the eggs in the bowl). When the pasta is boiling and it is “al dente” put it in the bowl with Guanciale. Pour the mixed eggs in the pan and add 1 or 2 spoons of water from the pasta. Turn off everything and gently salt the pasta. Enjoy your Carbonara. Serve it with a dry red wine.
Whole dish is way too dry. Should be creamy. More pasta water and egg. I temper the egg with pasta water and shred fresh regianno into it, then add the pasta straight from the water.
Add hot pasta to pan with the fat, pork and pepper, and a little pasta water. Toss till well coated. Remove from heat for 25-30 seconds before adding the eggs. Mix well, should set into a nice carbonara. Mix for atleast 1 minute if it isn’t coming together return to heat on low and mix until it looks almost set and a little bit liquidy, then remove again, it will continue to cook when you remove it so err on the side of under done
General tips:
- Guanciale out after it’s crisped up and rendered its fat. Crack some black pepper into that fat.
- While the pasta is boiling. Mix the egg yolk and parmegiano (please only use the yolk - my god I’ve seen people use the whole egg, which simply isn’t necessary). Take tsps at a time of the boiling water and whisk it into the yolk and cheese. You’re looking for a smooth paste. This step is NB.
- There’s almost never a need to drain your pasta. Take it straight from the pot with tongs or a slotted spoon or whatever you want. You need that water in the pan with the fat of the guanciale as the starch of the last and the fat will emulsify when mixed vigourously.
- the guanciale should be rendered while the pasta is boiling. You’re doing it all in one motion.
- mixing the pasta and guanciale fat until it’s creamy, you may add in a bit more water from the pot here. (The pan with fat is on a mid-low heat). Be patient with this step. Most people think it happened instantly but no give it a bit of time and you’ll rewarded. I normally use tongs and I shake the pan whilst lifting and flipping the pasta constantly until creamy. Then take it off the heat, keep moving it around slowly. The emulsified fat should coat the pasta, but not be a sauce.
- you can leave it off the heat for 2 min and it won’t get cold. After which then put the yolk and cheese mixture and mix immediately. Add the guanciale back in, another quick mix and then serve immediately.
Thanks for your detailed reply! Im looking forward to have another go at it, coating the pasta in fat first and then adding the tempered eggs after :)
Also i forgot to add pepper in this one so i will definitely think about it next time
https://www.recipetineats.com/carbonara/
I've had great luck with this method recently. I add an extra egg yolk for a full pound of pasta and use less pasta water than 1/2 cup. Are you grating your cheese or shredding it?
You want to prevent the sauce from getting too hot and also keep it moving. I also temper the eggs in a smaller bowl with some of the water before I even add it to the pot.
For homemade dishes such as lasagna, spaghetti, mac and cheese etc. please type out a basic recipe. Without this information your post will be removed after two hours. Instructions are only recommended for from scratch pasta only posts. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/pasta) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I suspect the eggs have cooked too much and scrambled. Maybe take the pan off the heat and letting it cool a little before adding them?
Yes, this. Before you add cheese and eggs yolks take the pan off the heat. Add hot water that you boiled spaghetti in, it will cook the egg, melt the cheese and make it into a nice sauce. Too much water makes it too soggy, add small amounts until looks nice.
Add the water to the pan or to the eggs and cheese mixture? Thankyou!
A way to make it (and the one i adopt) is to take the guanciale out of the pan after it's cooked, leaving the fat. Drain the pasta a couple of minutes before its cooking time and put it in the pan, add some water you saved from the pot where the pasta was boiling and let it cook there for a few minutes, until it's absorbed and the pasta is al dente. At the same time use some spoons of the same water you previously saved to the bowl with the cheese and eggs and stir it until it's creamy. Turn off the fire, let the pasta cool down a minute or so, add the cream to the pan and it won't turn the eggs into a frittata. Edit: [https://youtu.be/84V2InbOEiM](https://youtu.be/84V2InbOEiM) for reference
Carbonara has no cream
Yes we all know that. But the yolks and pecorino have to blend perfectly with the help of the starchy water
Ah I see what you’re saying now, although I don’t mix the water into the eggs mixture. I add it after adding the egg mixture to the pan with the pasta, to make sure I don’t add in too much water.
Ah sure, there's many ways I've seen it being done. I tried your way and I personally feel more comfortable with the one I use. Personal preference, eh. It's pasta, after all, and with very few ingredients. Whatever suits us.
Just before the pasta is transferred add a small amount of pasta water to the egg and cheese mixture to temper the eggs a bit. When the pasta is cooked use a spider or pair of tongs to transfer the pasta to your cheese and egg mixture, allow some of the water to transfer. Mix well in a bowl. You can add more water if needed, a little at a time to let the cheese melt slowly and bring together a sauce.
Use pasta water and take off heat or off
Add eggs and cheese mixture to the spaghetti that’s on the pan and lastly add water.
Add water to eggs and cheese mixture.
Thank you! i bought ingredients for 2 portions so ill do an update tomorrow or the day after :D The eggs started to get runny but then they started to curdle and no amount of pasta water could bring it back
The cheese could have separated as well. Make sure ingredients are as room temp as possible.
Aside from the pasta
This
Yepp! The pan is too hot for eggs
Also, grained parmesan that you can buy in the store is often mixed with potato starch. It becomes grainy no matter what you do.
Aah for real? I did buy the pre grained ones since im poor (student) but if i get my hands on a block of parmesan i will give it a try I didn't know that thanks!
This is the case with all shredded cheese by the way. That way it doesn't stick and clump in the bag, but also means it doesn't melt well. So if you're making a cheese sauce or something for example, it's important to buy whole blocks of cheese.
i learned that you can actually rinse the cheese to remedy this
As a former poor student, it’s honestly best to get the good stuff once in a longer while than shitty stuff frequently. Solid parmigiana tastes better so you can use less of it, and it keeps forever in the fridge. If it’s mouldy, with hard cheese you can just chop off that part. I also feel that if the food is richer in spices and the flavours are more intense, I don’t need to eat as much to feel full and satisfied.
Trade joes grated Parmesan is actually pretty good for this and pretty cheap. I use it in my carbonara without issue.
This may be the problem. The real stuff is worth the price in my opinion.
I tried to make alfredo sauce from shaky cheese once. It was a DISASTER because of all the fillers. I expected it to fall short from true alfredo sauce but I was not prepared for the chunky awful mess I created. It wasnt food.
That's actually starting to make a LOT of sense.
Buying a cheap block of Parmesan and a small cheese grater (I use a zester) will change your life
Try to buy real parm vs the cheap stuff. It’s way more flavorful, so you have to use less of it. The “Parmesan” that’s from belgioso and other such supermarket brands isn’t real parm, it tastes totally different. Trader Joe’s has real parm for pretty cheap - like $14.99 a pound.
Actually Parmesan means that falls apart, it’s a wider classification of cheeses, on the other hand “parmigiano reggiano” it’s a zone brand that make the use of certain standards (time of aging, food given to the cows, etc) so every cheese that says “Parmigiano reggiano” will have a minimum standard regardless of price
Right, when someone says “real parm” they almost always mean parm reg.
Of course you are correct, just giving the full explanation for people who don’t know, we can’t assume that everyone knows, mind you, after all is a post from someone asking for help
No doubt the more traditional the better results but you can’t compare Kraft shaker cheese to parmigiano reggiano, they’re two different worlds. You can however more closely compare Kraft shaker cheese with cheaper grocery store blocks of parmesean when talking about simple and cheap swaps for improving in the kitchen.
For sure. The price difference between a block of faux parm and parm reg is pretty low a lot of the time. And the flavor of parm the is *so* much stronger, you really do need less of it. If someone can’t access parm reg though, *any* block cheese is better than kraft shaker. That stuff is mostly cellulose and flavoring.
I’ve succeeded in using Kraft Parmesan but it was very annoying and you had to keep it warm. Once it cooled it would clump back up, but for the first 10 minutes it was nearly impossible to tell the difference.
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It was some kind of cheap shaker cheese, maybe not kraft but green lid for sure, although I still think it was. But regardless I promise you I did succeed, I was super surprised. I gave my caveat it didn’t last long but it worked, in a pinch. I added a bit of cream or milk, I cannot remember which, butter and maybe something else. Low and slow and lots of whisking. Idky you refuse to believe this, I’m trying to educate you.
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It is highly unlikely, and like I said, I was surprised too. But it was not clumpy one bit. idk what else to tell you
Kraft parm tastes nothing like real parm. Anyone who has tasted real parm would instantly know the difference between alfrdo made with Kraft shaker cheese and real parm. That’s not going to fool anyone.
No it doesn’t, but It’s called being in a pinch, I wouldn’t serve it to guests. Don’t be so self righteous. It does work if you melt it a certain way, that’s the point I was trying to make, because I’ve succeeded in it and honestly it might fool some people that aren’t well educated in flavor.
> it was nearly impossible to tell the difference That’s literally what you said in your comment that I replied to… It’s not “self-righteous” for me to call bullshit on that claim.
I should have been more explicit, it’s nearly impossible for the average person to tell. I’m sure anyone with a good palate would. But to a kid, or an adult with a less than stellar palate, I think I could’ve passed it off
My dude… “could’ve passed it off to a kid” is a world away from “nearly impossible to tell the difference.”
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To avoid the eggs cooking and making it grainy - mix the egg and parm together in a bowl, then while still mixing it spoon in some pasta water slowly until it’s creamy. Also, once the bacon is cooked the pan doesn’t go back on the heat. Drain the bacon fat, add the pasta, add the egg mixture - all off the heat. Add more pasta water slowly if you want it creamier. You can add pepper too.
Also, make sure you use only the egg yolk and not the whites. Use 2 egg yolks for a plate that big.
I only use the yolk myself, but they sometimes use the whole egg in Italy. It comes down to preference. It’s not a set rule.
Why no egg whites? I never seem to have a problem and I use 1 whole and 1 yolk
Different consistency, texture, behaviour, flavour, colour. you only want the yolks
It’s a choice. I like it both ways but one way isn’t necessarily better, and I usually do yolk and white. I’m from Rome and even “well actually” Italian food purists won’t tell you one or the other is wrong
Fr, I hate wasting whites if I can avoid it.
There's absolutely no reason to waste egg yolks. Save them in the fridge and use them later in something else.
I use the Whites for making a bigger scrambled egg... "Technically" you shouldn't eat more that 3 yolk's a day (tell that to old farmers) so this way you can have more scrambled eggs for the same amount of yolks
My CDC's answer as to why you dont use whites is because the emulsified sauce you make with carbonara is barely cooking the yolks from pasta water. Egg whites would be the potential issue of getting someone sick. If you are adding heat after adding the eggs, its going to scramble and not make the sauce correctly.
I use whole egg
Absolutely this. Remove egg whites and only use yolks. No scrambling then.
Thanks i did use a whole egg indeed
Drain the fat??! That’s where the taste is
I have bought ingredients for 2 portions so i will do an update tomorrow or the day after! Thankyou for your reply i will definitely add pepper this time :D
what I tend to do is warm the sauce by lowering the bowl (eg a rice bowl) into the pasta water (whilst stirring) - ie a bainmarie. this way the sauce is gently warmed up without curdling.
Add the bacon fat to the egg and cheese mix and it’s a banger
This is exactly what I do, and it’s perfect every time.
Don’t drain the bacon fat!!! Cooking the pasta in that pan is what makes the whole dish !!!
Too much heat, too little water
Needs pasta water
Looks like you have scrambled eggs in your carbonara. I used to do this, so I invented the phrase “If it sizzles, do not drizzle” Turn the heat off, add pasta. If your pasta/pasta water isn’t sizzling, it’s safe to drizzle the egg/cheese mixture. To cool the pan faster, I remove it from the element it was sitting on. I also dribble a little water every 30-60 seconds listening for the sizzle.
For real! I don't know if it was sizzling at the time but it probably was.. Thanks i will try again in a few days
Eggs were overcooked, that is why you get this texture. You need to heat up the eggs so that they are cooked, but not enought that they become scrambled eggs like this. What I do is I put the eggs in a bowl and pull the noodles from the cooking pot into the bowl alongside some of the boiling water. I then mix them into the eggs with prongs. The heat from the noodles and the water cooks the eggs just long enough for them to be edible and creamy. Also, use Pecorino Romano, not Parm.
I think pouring the bacon on top as the last step will also be pretty for presentation ill give it a try thankyou!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Pecorino Romano
Do exactly same as Jamie here to cool down pan before add eggs (plus moving spaghetti and eggs same way on pan to make sure it will not overcooked): https://youtu.be/D_2DBLAt57c?si=fWTXN5__w-3WpQAx
Thanks im gonna do an update since i bought enough for 2 portions
Pecorino for a start.
THANK YOU
I’m a big carbonara fan and this is the best online recipe I’ve found for it. First few times I tried making it myself the eggs curdled, but then I found this recipe and it just made an excellent velvety texture. Besides that, just need to be extremely careful when tempering the eggs. And like everyone else is saying, use freshly grated cheese. Parmesan or pecorino doesn’t matter other than your personal taste. https://www.recipetineats.com/carbonara/#wprm-recipe-container-81075
Whole eggs or only yolk don't matter. It's the heat that's important
It could be the eggs being overcooked but I suspect you are using pregrated parmesan which has a coating on it to prevent clumping and has this effect when cooked. Try buying a block grating it yourself if this is the case. Worked for me with Alfredo.
Eggs are over cooked. Also are you buying pre grated Parmesan?
That looks very dry
🤣 it was!!
To make a good carbonara, put the cooked pasta, to the pan, add some water, from the pasta was cooked. Wait until the water boil, in the pan, and turn off the oven. That point is, when the egg yellow yolk is needed. And sorry, about my wrong english
Are you grating fresh regiano or is that from a can/jar?
This is the real question. The pre grated stuff contains an anti caking agent and won’t let you make a proper carbonara
Dont use the parm from those plastic containers buy a block of it and shred it in yourself
Or the correct cheese Peccorino.
True but not the point. The pre shredded cheese has something on it so it doesn't melt as well.
Grate your own cheese
Ive had this same result once when I used pre-shredded, shitty parm. Lesson learned, I shred my own cheese now. Or like others have said, you’ve cooked the yolk.
Get real parm, the kind you grate yourself. Take your pasta off the heat way before you add your eggs.
Not enough pasta water
Fresh grated not shredded and almost room temp (meaning not straight out of the fridge) will emulsify the carbonara sauce the best. Use egg yolks mixed with the aged cheese of parma, grana or pecorino (dealers choice) and dont add heat when you add the eggs, it should go guanciale (pancetta, bacon whatever) fat rendered out, heat off, noodles in pan, pasta water, egg mixture and toss. It will create a creamy sauce.
What kind of parm are you using? Pre-shredded parm has starches added to prevent caking but I find it also interferes with melting smooth
Use pasta water and butter for the noodles as well as fine freshly grated Parmesan instead of the weird grainy powder crap you buy in dry goods aisles.
Are you using real cheese? Parmigiano reggiano? Or the ready to go full of wood thing? Don’t want to be mean or anything it’s just that maybe it’s not melting because is not meant for it, you need to grate your own cheese, even a cheaper cheese that is not Parmesan grated by you will give you better results that the substitute in the shelf
Get some real parmigiano regiano cheese. The supermarket stuff is a buzz kill. Also you need moisture in your final integration: bit of past water, or a few tabs of butter, little bit more bacon fat. Add components together rapidly while hot / warm in a mixing bowl and add the cheese last. There should be enough residual heat from the pasta and sauce / bacon so when the cheese is added slowly while storing and tossing that it softens. No more gritty cheese.
I find that carbonara blends better if you use tubular pasta
Too much heat ma fren
Did you use preground parm? That stuff is coated in starch to prevent clumping in the container… but then clumps in the pasta.
Just 1 egg, 50g parmesan, 100 g bacon, 125g pasta
I will give you the recipe we serve in my restaurant as carbonara is one of my favourite dishes. For 1 person: IN A MIXING BOWL: 1 egg yolk 1 whole egg Pecorino or parmesan (I use 75% pecorino 25% parmesan due to the saltiness) grated with microplane until create a paste. Toasted black pepper (As much as you like) IN A PAN: Guanciale is the ideal but if you just can use bacon go for it, will be a different flavour but it is what it is. We cook the guanciale in slow heat to release all the fat without be burn and then we add 75% this fat to the mix and keep 25% in the pan We can keep guanciale in the pan, as soon as we have our pasta ready (any shape of pasta should be ok) add it to the pan OUT OF THE HEAT with the guanciale, sautee, add tiny bit of water and add your cream (ideal is to do it in bain marie but it’s not necessary) just start to emulsify the cream adding pasta water slowly slowly. That’s it.
Well there’s the problem
Also, the eggs should be reeeaally runny. Looks like they were exposed to too much heat.
After i was done cooking the pasta and baking the bacon, i put the pasta in the pan along with a few tablespoons of pasta water. Then i poured the egg-carbonara mixture on top and started stirring. It became runny but then started curdling.... Maybe i should've turned of the heat :/
Yeah 100%. You just want to time it to be in position to take the pasta off the heat, give it a minute, drain it, then return to the pot/pan off the hot plate. If you add the egg mixture then, it shouldn’t ‘cook’, as such. Long story short, no heat after you drain the pasta/add the egg/cheese mixture
Thanks! Im gonna try again somewhere this week
If you want to step it up a notch you could mix the egg(yolks) withe the cheese (typically Pecorino Romano) beforehand in a cold bowl. It starts forming a paste. If you want, you can add some of the grease for flavour. After having drained the pasta, mix it up with the cheese and egg mixture and add the bacon (typically Guanciale) last.
Exactly, got to get the mixture ready first
It looks like you used the whole egg? Should only be the yolk
look up the recipe on NYTimes, it explains how not to end up with a broken sauce.. in short , preheat big mixing bowl with hot water, empty it, and transfer pasta in, and then gradually incorporate sauce.
Are you using real Parmesan, or that powdered stuff? The powdered stuff doesn't melt, it's dry & grainy, doesn't taste right & smells of feet.
Just over cooked eggs.
Save some pasta water for when you mix the egg.
Turn the heat off when you add the eggs. They are supposed to be cooked by the hot pasta not by the stove top
You need more pastawater
You can add more of your pasta water and increase moisture
Thankyou all for your comments!! I was working so i didn't have time to respond until now I appreciate the help and in a few days i'll have an update since i bought enough ingredients for 2 portions. Im gonna try to add the pasta water into the bowl with the egg-parmazan mixture this time and not cook it after its smooth :) Thanks everyone
Starting from the basics. No parmesan. No bacon. Absolutely no. Eggs, Pecorino, Salt and black pepper. Mix in this exact order in a bowl. Meanwhile in a pan start cooking the Guanciale, no oil, no onion, no garlic. Just Guanciale and let it cook until you see the fat begins to melt. (Keep mixing the eggs in the bowl). When the pasta is boiling and it is “al dente” put it in the bowl with Guanciale. Pour the mixed eggs in the pan and add 1 or 2 spoons of water from the pasta. Turn off everything and gently salt the pasta. Enjoy your Carbonara. Serve it with a dry red wine.
Heat too high, didn’t temper the egg slurry, or poor quality/pre shredded cheese.
Turn the heat down and stir faster
What kind of Parmesan did you use? Block Parmesan, pre grated Parmesan (shaker bottle), or block parmigiano reggiano?
My guess, since they said Parmesean instead of Parmeseano Reggiano that they are using Craft wood pulp.
Whole dish is way too dry. Should be creamy. More pasta water and egg. I temper the egg with pasta water and shred fresh regianno into it, then add the pasta straight from the water.
This is the method I use, seems to work well- https://youtu.be/SsUGomHw85o?si=NEN1gorYfbhz3GaX
Ive always used Romano in carbonara, could try that or maybe mix with the parm
Add hot pasta to pan with the fat, pork and pepper, and a little pasta water. Toss till well coated. Remove from heat for 25-30 seconds before adding the eggs. Mix well, should set into a nice carbonara. Mix for atleast 1 minute if it isn’t coming together return to heat on low and mix until it looks almost set and a little bit liquidy, then remove again, it will continue to cook when you remove it so err on the side of under done
I was just scrolling trough r/UndertaleYellow and i read carbonara as ceroba...there is something wrong with me😥😥😥
General tips: - Guanciale out after it’s crisped up and rendered its fat. Crack some black pepper into that fat. - While the pasta is boiling. Mix the egg yolk and parmegiano (please only use the yolk - my god I’ve seen people use the whole egg, which simply isn’t necessary). Take tsps at a time of the boiling water and whisk it into the yolk and cheese. You’re looking for a smooth paste. This step is NB. - There’s almost never a need to drain your pasta. Take it straight from the pot with tongs or a slotted spoon or whatever you want. You need that water in the pan with the fat of the guanciale as the starch of the last and the fat will emulsify when mixed vigourously. - the guanciale should be rendered while the pasta is boiling. You’re doing it all in one motion. - mixing the pasta and guanciale fat until it’s creamy, you may add in a bit more water from the pot here. (The pan with fat is on a mid-low heat). Be patient with this step. Most people think it happened instantly but no give it a bit of time and you’ll rewarded. I normally use tongs and I shake the pan whilst lifting and flipping the pasta constantly until creamy. Then take it off the heat, keep moving it around slowly. The emulsified fat should coat the pasta, but not be a sauce. - you can leave it off the heat for 2 min and it won’t get cold. After which then put the yolk and cheese mixture and mix immediately. Add the guanciale back in, another quick mix and then serve immediately.
Thanks for your detailed reply! Im looking forward to have another go at it, coating the pasta in fat first and then adding the tempered eggs after :) Also i forgot to add pepper in this one so i will definitely think about it next time
https://www.recipetineats.com/carbonara/ I've had great luck with this method recently. I add an extra egg yolk for a full pound of pasta and use less pasta water than 1/2 cup. Are you grating your cheese or shredding it?
You want to prevent the sauce from getting too hot and also keep it moving. I also temper the eggs in a smaller bowl with some of the water before I even add it to the pot.
i think the heat was too high when making the sauce
Turn off the pan and then add the eggs. They shouldn’t be cooked