HOMEMADE TAGLIATELLE CARBONARA

12 April 2023

Homemade Tagliatelle Carbonara has been my favourite dish for over 20 years. I rarely order anything different when I go to an Italian restaurant and it's on the menu at least once a week at home.

Ask anyone who knows me will tell you that Carbonara and Charlotte are the same. Everybody that is a guest in my house is treated to a homemade tagliatelle carbonara at least once (usually twice because I’m terrible with pasta portions).

I switch up my recipe from time to time for a change or to test out a new way but I always come back to the below. I also must warn you that this is not a diet recipe of any kind. Butter, cream and cheese are kings and I am the mighty taste tester!

Ingredients

2 onions (3 if they are small)

A splash of olive oil

1 pack of bacon or even better lardons (~340g)

1 packet of pasta (~500g)

*Tagliatelle is recommended by the laws of pasta in Italy and fresh if possible

1 pot of creme fraiche or half & half (~500ml)

A small glass of white wine (& an extra one for the chef)

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tsp garlic (lazy, fresh or powder I’m not fussy)

1/2 tsp paprika

Splash of Worcester sauce

A handful of chopped parsley

Vegetable stock for the pasta

Sea salt & pepper to taste

I suggest smoked bacon for more taste!

Directions

Dice the onions and garlic and cut the bacon into lardons if you got rashers.

Add the olive oil, half of the butter and garlic to a large frying pan and wait for them to combine.

Throw in your onions, stir until evenly coated and pop the lid on for 4/5 minutes on medium heat.

In the meantime, prep your stock for the pasta in a saucepan. No need to add any salt as the bacon and sprinkle in the sauce will be plenty! If you are cooking with dried tagliatelle, add it right away and cook as per usual so the carbonara sauce is ready to serve at the same time. If fresh is your way today, then leave the stock on a low heat simmer and wait until you are at the point of adding the cream to start the pasta.

Always opt for fresh pasta when available! Does anyone have an Italian Nonna I can borrow to teach me how to make it homemade please?

Back to the main event, remove the lid, stir and add a touch of white wine and check to see if the onions have started to turn soft and translucent. Once they become tender, add the lardons.

We want the bacon to crisp up so resist the urge to keep stirring unless you see the onions burning, in which case give it one turn. Add the salt, pepper, Worcester sauce and paprika.

Almost there...

Combine and you should start to have some colouring at the bottom of your pan. Once your bacon is crispy, add a couple of tablespoons of your pasta water and the rest of the white wine into the pan. Cover it quickly, bring down to a low heat and leave it alone for 4/5 minutes.

Take the lid off, add the rest of the butter and stir to get all the tasty goodness off the bottom of the pan. Taste! If you like then add the final ingredient; cream. This is where I start getting properly excited about homemade tagliatelle carbonara. Remember to start cooking your fresh pasta at this point.

Pour the entire amount rapidly in one go so the general temperature of the pan comes down and the cream doesn’t turn. Keep stirring for a few minutes and switch off the heat. Add your parsley.

Drain your pasta and if it’s big enough combine it with the sauce, if not add it to a large bowl so you can mix it up.

Serve immediately with unreasonable amounts of cheese on top, parmesan is the best but grated cheddar will also be accepted.

Notes

My best paring recommendations would be a very chilled, crisp white wine for drinks, Italian olives to start and a lemon or raspberry sorbet for dessert.

I would also recommend adding homemade garlic bread as a side dish, my recipe link is below!