Remember those bacon ends and pieces I got at the store
the other day?

Well, part of the reason I got them, aside from pure curiosity
and gluttony, was to make carbonara.

I know carbonara calls for pancetta, and I figured if the bacon
was crappy I would have to get pancetta, but this stuff was meaty
and flavorful and thick, so I figured it'd do fine after all.

So I dug out Giada de Laurentiis recipe for Penne ala Carbonara
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/reci..._23146,00.html
and adjusted for one person.

And basically ****ed it all up.

But boy was it delicious.

I forgot to buy fresh Italian parsley at the store, and had to
use a dried Italian herb mix (Emeril's; this doesn't live up to his
original creole version at all; which is why I had it in the cubberd).

Her recipe uses 6 eggs for 4 servings, and I didn't feel like cutting
an egg in half.

And then I added 1/4 cup of cream instead of 1/8. Oops.

So the sauce turned out pretty runny, but it coated the
pasta okay, and I half-considered pouring what I left on
my plate into a pan and seeing what a carbonara omelette
tasted like, but nah.

Next time, I'll be more careful with the egg and cream and
see if I can get a good, gooey, cheesy consistency out of
the sauce.

--Blair
"Tractice, tractice, tractice."
-old ventriloquists' joke

"Blair P. Houghton" > wrote in message
...
>
> Remember those bacon ends and pieces I got at the store
> the other day?
>
> Well, part of the reason I got them, aside from pure curiosity
> and gluttony, was to make carbonara.
>
> I know carbonara calls for pancetta, and I figured if the bacon
> was crappy I would have to get pancetta, but this stuff was meaty
> and flavorful and thick, so I figured it'd do fine after all.
>
> So I dug out Giada de Laurentiis recipe for Penne ala Carbonara
> http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/reci..._23146,00.html
> and adjusted for one person.
>
> And basically ****ed it all up.
>
> But boy was it delicious.
>
> I forgot to buy fresh Italian parsley at the store, and had to
> use a dried Italian herb mix (Emeril's; this doesn't live up to his
> original creole version at all; which is why I had it in the cubberd).
>
> Her recipe uses 6 eggs for 4 servings, and I didn't feel like cutting
> an egg in half.
>
> And then I added 1/4 cup of cream instead of 1/8. Oops.
>
> So the sauce turned out pretty runny, but it coated the
> pasta okay, and I half-considered pouring what I left on
> my plate into a pan and seeing what a carbonara omelette
> tasted like, but nah.
>
> Next time, I'll be more careful with the egg and cream and
> see if I can get a good, gooey, cheesy consistency out of
> the sauce.
>
> --Blair
>
"He who laughs at himself,
never laughs alone."
Confucius

"Blair P. Houghton" > wrote in message
...
:
: Remember those bacon ends and pieces I got at the store
: the other day?
:
: Well, part of the reason I got them, aside from pure curiosity
: and gluttony, was to make carbonara.
:
: I know carbonara calls for pancetta, and I figured if the bacon
: was crappy I would have to get pancetta, but this stuff was
meaty
: and flavorful and thick, so I figured it'd do fine after all.
:

<snip>

=========

I prefer mine with bacon. All of the pancetta that I've ever had
was too salty for my tastes. I use very little salt and don't
care for the saline-type feel and taste after I eat something
salty.
--
Cyndi
<Remove a "b" to reply>

(Blair=A0P.=A0Houghton) wrote:
<snip>
<So I dug out Giada de Laurentiis recipe for Penne ala Carbonara
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/reci..._23146,00.html
and adjusted for one person.
And basically ****ed it all up.>
<snip>
////////

This recipe sounds really good and printed it for future reference but
am new to certain types of pasta dishes and sauces. I'm glad it turned
out ok for you but I wouldn't be so lucky. I saw the note on being quick
so it wouldn't curdle.... To me that said "Warning". Guess I'll have to
learn to walk before I run but hope to try it in the future.

Also, the store I shop at the most carries what sounds to be the same
bacon ends and pieces that you mentioned. I meant to look at the brand
name and forgot. Ours has some type of maple or honey cure though. I get
it for a little over a dollar a pound and is packaged in 3 lb pkgs. It's
excellent.

I also get some pretty good bacon, not as good as mentioned above in 14
lb boxes for $15. Neither are water logged and are pretty lean. Before I
got hooked up with these two options, bacon was far and few between
because of expense not to mention fat and water content.

We do have a butcher that has some pepper bacon that, well.... we can
only do now and then.

Thanks again...
Sincerely, Helen

Back in the 60's I had a roommate from Italy that was here on a visa. He
introduced me to Carbonara. He knew of three versions of spaghetti that
his mother made, Bolognese, carbonara and Matharachana (sp?) is what it
sounded like. Said they increases in hotness in the order given. This is
how he made the carbonara. Never did make the hot one.

Since Pancetta was not readily available in the states at that time, he used
1/2 regular bacon cut into 1/2 inch pieces and 1/2 Canadian bacon, same
cut. Fried it up until crisp and set aside. He said it made a close
approximation.

2 servings of no. 3 prince spaghetti cooked.

2 Eggs beaten well, with lots and lots of black pepper and 1/2 Romano and
1/2 parmesan cheese to form a think sauce. Set aside.

When the pasta was done, it was quick drained and added to the bowl where
the egg mixture was and tossed and tossed quickly to cook the egg. The meat
with the drippings were then added and tossed again. To make a more moist
dish, some of the pasta water can be added.

Dennis
-----------------------------------------------------------
"Blair P. Houghton" > wrote in message
...
>
> Remember those bacon ends and pieces I got at the store
> the other day?
>
> Well, part of the reason I got them, aside from pure curiosity
> and gluttony, was to make carbonara.
>
> I know carbonara calls for pancetta, and I figured if the bacon
> was crappy I would have to get pancetta, but this stuff was meaty
> and flavorful and thick, so I figured it'd do fine after all.
>
> So I dug out Giada de Laurentiis recipe for Penne ala Carbonara
> http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/reci..._23146,00.html
> and adjusted for one person.
>
> And basically ****ed it all up.
>
> But boy was it delicious.
>
> I forgot to buy fresh Italian parsley at the store, and had to
> use a dried Italian herb mix (Emeril's; this doesn't live up to his
> original creole version at all; which is why I had it in the cubberd).
>
> Her recipe uses 6 eggs for 4 servings, and I didn't feel like cutting
> an egg in half.
>
> And then I added 1/4 cup of cream instead of 1/8. Oops.
>
> So the sauce turned out pretty runny, but it coated the
> pasta okay, and I half-considered pouring what I left on
> my plate into a pan and seeing what a carbonara omelette
> tasted like, but nah.
>
> Next time, I'll be more careful with the egg and cream and
> see if I can get a good, gooey, cheesy consistency out of
> the sauce.
>
> --Blair
> "Tractice, tractice, tractice."
> -old ventriloquists' joke

On Thu, 2 Oct 2003 17:16:03 -0400, "No One" >
wrote:

>Back in the 60's I had a roommate from Italy that was here on a visa. He
>introduced me to Carbonara. He knew of three versions of spaghetti that
>his mother made, Bolognese, carbonara and Matharachana (sp?) is what it
>sounded like. Said they increases in hotness in the order given. This is
>how he made the carbonara. Never did make the hot one.

I think Mario has made something like the 3rd and it was A La
Matriciana (in the style of the mother/matriarch)

>Since Pancetta was not readily available in the states at that time, he used
>1/2 regular bacon cut into 1/2 inch pieces and 1/2 Canadian bacon, same
>cut. Fried it up until crisp and set aside. He said it made a close
>approximation.
>
>2 servings of no. 3 prince spaghetti cooked.
>
>2 Eggs beaten well, with lots and lots of black pepper and 1/2 Romano and
>1/2 parmesan cheese to form a think sauce. Set aside.
>
>When the pasta was done, it was quick drained and added to the bowl where
>the egg mixture was and tossed and tossed quickly to cook the egg. The meat
>with the drippings were then added and tossed again. To make a more moist
>dish, some of the pasta water can be added.
>
>Dennis
>-----------------------------------------------------------
Last night on $40 Dollars a Day, Rachel was in Rome and she had
Carbonara. Extremely quick and easy prep that of course I can't
remember. But I think it was cook spaghetti till al dente, while that
is cooking, prepare pancetta cooked in a little olive oil. Beat an egg
and lots of pepper in a bowl, drain the spaghetti, add to the
pancetta, and then add the egg until it just thickened around the
pasta as it will continue to cook a little from the residual heat.

Evan

"No One" > wrote in message
...
> Back in the 60's I had a roommate from Italy that was here on a visa. He
> introduced me to Carbonara. He knew of three versions of spaghetti that
> his mother made, Bolognese, carbonara and Matharachana (sp?) is what it
> sounded like. Said they increases in hotness in the order given. This is
> how he made the carbonara. Never did make the hot one.
>
> Since Pancetta was not readily available in the states at that time, he
used
> 1/2 regular bacon cut into 1/2 inch pieces and 1/2 Canadian bacon, same
> cut. Fried it up until crisp and set aside. He said it made a close
> approximation.
>
> 2 servings of no. 3 prince spaghetti cooked.
>
> 2 Eggs beaten well, with lots and lots of black pepper and 1/2 Romano
and
> 1/2 parmesan cheese to form a think sauce. Set aside.
>
> When the pasta was done, it was quick drained and added to the bowl where
> the egg mixture was and tossed and tossed quickly to cook the egg. The
meat
> with the drippings were then added and tossed again. To make a more moist
> dish, some of the pasta water can be added.
>
> Dennis

AHA................

The real thing!

No cream.....

Dimitri

Man, your recipe sounds good! I went to the site and bookmarked that
recipe. However, going down the page, I saw another pasta recipe that
looked too good to pass up. Here it is:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/reci..._23147,00.html

Thanks,
Mark


On Thu, 02 Oct 2003 00:17:49 GMT, Blair P. Houghton > wrote:

>
>Remember those bacon ends and pieces I got at the store
>the other day?
>
>Well, part of the reason I got them, aside from pure curiosity
>and gluttony, was to make carbonara.
>
>I know carbonara calls for pancetta, and I figured if the bacon
>was crappy I would have to get pancetta, but this stuff was meaty
>and flavorful and thick, so I figured it'd do fine after all.
>
>So I dug out Giada de Laurentiis recipe for Penne ala Carbonara
>http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/reci..._23146,00.html
>and adjusted for one person.
>
>And basically ****ed it all up.
>
>But boy was it delicious.
>
>I forgot to buy fresh Italian parsley at the store, and had to
>use a dried Italian herb mix (Emeril's; this doesn't live up to his
>original creole version at all; which is why I had it in the cubberd).
>
>Her recipe uses 6 eggs for 4 servings, and I didn't feel like cutting
>an egg in half.
>
>And then I added 1/4 cup of cream instead of 1/8. Oops.
>
>So the sauce turned out pretty runny, but it coated the
>pasta okay, and I half-considered pouring what I left on
>my plate into a pan and seeing what a carbonara omelette
>tasted like, but nah.
>
>Next time, I'll be more careful with the egg and cream and
>see if I can get a good, gooey, cheesy consistency out of
>the sauce.
>
> --Blair
> "Tractice, tractice, tractice."
> -old ventriloquists' joke

Ferrante > wrote:
>Man, your recipe sounds good! I went to the site and bookmarked that

I wish it was mine. And I wish I could bloody follow it!

I tried again today, and totally forgot both the parmesan
and the fresh parsley (which I'd bought and wrapped in
damp towels and stuck in the crisper two days ago...)

The sauce was just as thick (i.e., thin) as last time,
but this time I used the right amount of cream and left
out the cheese. Until I realized I'd forgotten the
cheese, I was mystified at why it wasn't thicker.

>Spaghetti with Garlic, Olive Oil and Red Pepper Flakes
>http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/reci..._23147,00.html

Yah. That does look good.

I'd throw in some chopped green olives, maybe.

--Blair
"And forget the spaghetti."