Skills you will learn in this recipe
Thickening a sauce with egg; making a crunchy salad
Links to the last recipe
Cooking pasta; making a simple pasta sauce
This riff on pasta carbonara was one of Emily’s go-to dishes when she was a student – easy and quick to make, and so delicious all her friends would ask for the recipe. OK, it’s not really a carbonara as even Bibi would admit, but its flavour profile is similar and it’s easier to master, especially for a beginner.
Bibi would often make a ‘real’ carbonara too – which doesn’t feature cream or mascarpone and is made simply with eggs, cheese and pancetta or bacon – but we suspect preferred this version (as we do!). To distinguish the two she would call it ‘cheat’s carbonara’, a name which has stuck in our family. We’re not quite sure where she got the idea – she claimed from the lid of a mascarpone pot (when they had lids), but the only recipe we’ve ever seen on those is for tiramisu, so she probably made it up.
The sauce is simply a stir-it-all-up job, and can be made ahead if needed. You can serve it with any pasta shape, but long pastas work best and spaghetti probably best of all. We like it served with a simple crunchy salad.
Carbonara sauce
Start by making the sauce. First chop the ham. For this dish you want a cooked, not air-cured ham, so something like a traditional British ham or Italian prosciutto cotto (not, say, Parma or Serrano). Today we had Wiltshire ham, which is widely available. Slice it, removing any bits that look too fatty or sinewy, then chop across into medium pieces. Our ham today was a little thinner than we had expected; normally the ham we use is slightly thicker. But it still worked fine!
Jake sticks his nose in
It’s worth taking time when choosing a packet of ham in a shop. Even different packets from the exact same type of ham can vary broadly – choose one that has a nice pink colour (not greyish) and not too much fat running through the middle.
Now add the mascarpone to a bowl. Crack and separate the eggs – find out how in our Tip – using a ratio of one pot of mascarpone to two eggs. This makes enough sauce for two greedy people (like us!) but you could stretch it to three. Add the yolks only to the mascarpone.
Mix the eggs and mascarpone very vigorously with a spoon. You want a sauce that is really well combined and smooth, and for the mascarpone to soften slightly. Don’t skimp on this step – a sauce with too much visible egg will turn to scrambled egg when you add to the hot pasta; a sauce that is too stiff will be difficult to handle in the next two steps.
Now grate the parmesan – you need a generous amount, about half a block per tub of mascarpone. Grate on a fine setting. You can grate directly into the bowl if you have a drum grater like ours; if not grate separately and add. Season with black pepper – we like a lot, almost a cacio e pepe vibe. Mix well to incorporate.
Now carefully fold in the ham. You want it well-distributed but be mindful not to mash it up. Your sauce is ready!
Crunchy salad
Now prepare the salad. The pasta sauce is quite velvety and rich, so we like something fresh and crunchy alongside it. We often do a very simple salad with tomatoes, cucumber and peppers and/or radishes. Chop everything into uniform, bite-sized cubes. Remember to top and tail the radishes, if using, before chopping. Mix everything together well.
You can dress the salad with a simple vinaigrette, see how to make it in our Tip. But to be honest, with this salad we don’t bother and just dress very simply with seasoning and oil and vinegar. Add a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper, then splash over a little red or white wine vinegar (about a capful) and add a good glug of olive oil. Toss or stir the salad well to coat in the dressing.
Both the salad and sauce can be made ahead and kept in the fridge until you are ready to cook the pasta.
Just before serving add a handful or fresh herbs . Today we had basil, which works very well in this salad, but chopped parsley or mint would also be nice. Or use dried herbs – a mixed herb or oregano works well. If using basil, as we did, rip over the top and then stir in to the salad.
Pasta
About 20 minutes before you are ready to serve, get the water on to cook your pasta. We like spaghetti best with this sauce, but any pasta you have to hand will work. You’ll find lots of tips for cooking spaghetti in our Bolognese and Puttanesca posts, but the key is to cook it in a very large pan with lots of boiling salted water.
Put a little water into a pasta pot or large saucepan and set over a high heat. Also get a full kettle on to boil. Add a good pinch of salt to the water, and fill the pan from the kettle. You need to allow time for the water to come to the boil, plus the cooking time of the pasta (for spaghetti, usually about 10 to 12 minutes).
When the water is at a rolling boil – it will bubble and swirl – add the spaghetti, pushing it down into the water and spreading it out. Give it a good stir to stop the strands from clumping, and cook from the time specified on the packet.
Jake sticks his nose in
Pasta generally has a range of cooking times – the lower number will give a firm pasta (al dente) and the higher number a softer one. Test a strand at the lower number and cook longer if needed.
When the cooking time is up, test a strand of pasta by biting into it – if it is chalky or too firm cook longer. Have your sauce to hand.
Finishing & serving
When the pasta is done, drain it and then set the pan over a low heat with a small splash of olive oil. Add the spaghetti back to the pan.
Now add the sauce to the spaghetti and stir and keep stirring over a very low heat. You need to keep the pasta and sauce moving so that the egg in the sauce cooks gently, but does not turn into scrambled egg. You also want to coat the pasta evenly in the sauce and distribute the ham. A pasta server makes this easier. Lifting the pasta up and over is the best way to achieve this, as below. Taste and season if necessary. The sauce is cooked when it is warmed through and looks slightly thicker and glossy, a few minutes.
Serve your pasta carbonara immediately with the salad on the side.
Enjoy!
Bibi’s Creamy ‘Cheat’s Carbonara’
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Chop the ham into bite-sized pieces.
- Add the mascarpone to a bowl. Crack and separate two eggs. See our egg Tip. Add to the bowl with the mascarpone, and beat really well to combine. You want a smooth, soft sauce with no visible egg.
- Grate the parmesan on a fine setting and add to the egg mixture. Season generously with black pepper. Stir well.
- Gently fold in the ham, making sure it is well distributed, but take care not to mash it. Keep the sauce in the fridge until ready to use.
- Next prepare the salad. Halve the tomatoes if small, or cut into pieces if larger. Cut the cucumber and pepper into bite-sized chunks. Top and tail the radishes, if using, and cut into halves or quarters, depending on size. Mix everything together in a serving bowl.
- Dress with vinaigrette – see our dressing Tip. Or dress more simply by seasoning with salt and pepper and adding a capful of vinegar and a good glug or olive oil. Stir well and set aside until needed.
- Now cook the spaghetti. About 20 minutes before you are ready to serve, heat a generous amount of water with a shake of salt until it is at a rolling boil – it should bubble and swirl. Add the spaghetti, gently pressing it down into the water and spreading it out until it is completely submerged. Stir to separate the strands. Cook for the time stated on the packet, usually about 10 to 12 minutes. Test a strand for doneness – if it is chalky or too firm, cook a little longer.
- While the pasta is cooking, rip the basil over the salad (or add another herb) and toss to mix well.
- Drain the cooked spaghetti and set the pan back over a low heat, adding a splash of olive oil. Return the spaghetti to the warm pan.
- Add the sauce to the spaghetti, and stir it in well. Keep the pasta and sauce moving so the egg in the sauce cooks gently, but doesn't turn into scrambled egg (a few minutes) and so the sauce and ham are well distributed. A pasta server makes this easier.
- Serve immediately, with the salad on the side.
- Enjoy!
Leave a Reply