This is another wonderfully simple dish—but it’s also very easy to screw up. It used to be standard fare at any self-respecting Italian restaurant, but nowadays, it’s hard to find. That’s partly because it’s made with raw eggs, and our health inspectors probably make it hard to cook in the traditional way. But also, as I said, it’s easy to mess up, and requires some extra attention—so if you’re in a high-volume restaurant kitchen, maybe it’s just not worth the effort. That’s just my hunch. In any case, I think the last time I had this in a restaurant was in Europe (Interlaken?). As I recall, it was not very good.
No matter—this is definitely one of those dishes that tastes better at home. It’s one of my favorites, but I don’t get to make it very often, thanks to the vegetarian and gluten-free factions of the family. Like many Italian dishes, it requires just a few, simple ingredients. So how can you mess it up? Well, you need to add a raw beaten egg to the hot spaghetti and mix it around so it coats the noodles. If the spaghetti isn’t hot enough, you just get a runny egg everywhere. If it’s too hot, you get spaghetti alla scrambled egg. My trick is to beat the egg with some of the pasta water so it’s already warm when you pour it on.
The name roughly translates to “spaghetti in the charcoal-makers’ style.” What’s up with that? In one account, the dish goes back to the Roman era; the charcoal makers would be out all day (burning wood?), and needed to make supper from ingredients that would last the day without spoiling or that could be easily found wherever they went. So, dried pasta, oil, pancetta, cheese, an onion, and egg… (The original dish did not have cream.) Interestingly, the Carbonari was also the name of a secret society that sought to overthrow the government, so maybe this is what they ate at their clandestine meetings. So raise a toast to Garibaldi as you sit down to eat!
Also, though traditionally made with spaghetti, I find this works just fine with penne.
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What you need
Spaghetti
Olive oil
Onion, chopped
Bacon (or pancetta), chopped
1 whole raw egg
Grated cheese
Cream
Parsley
How you make it
- Add some oil to your pan—enough to coat the bottom.
- Add the chopped onion and bacon (or pancetta, if you’re being fancy). Anywhere from a half to a full onion, depending on the size, and maybe four to six strips of bacon. I typically trim off some of the fat, but that’s not entirely necessary. Let that simmer until the bacon is cooked and the onion is translucent.
- Meanwhile, beat an egg with a tiny bit of cream. Do it in the bowl that you’ll use to serve the spaghetti.
- Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti. Remember to stir it as soon as you put it in the pot so it doesn’t clump. Also, there’s no rule that says you can’t break it in half if it’s too long to fit in the pot.
- Ladle some of the salted, starchy water from the spaghetti pot into the egg and beat some more. Do a little at a time—you’ll maybe add a half cup to a cup.
- Drain the spaghetti in a colander and add it to the pan with the bacon and onion. If you turned the burner off earlier, turn it back on again as you swirl the spaghetti around.
- Turn off the burner.
- Gather the spaghetti in a tall mound in the pan and ladle some of the egg over it. You pile up the spaghetti to prevent the egg from hitting the pan right away. Gently toss the spaghetti and add some more egg. Do this until you’ve just about finished the egg.
- Pour the spaghetti into your serving bowl—which will probably still have some egg in it.
- Sprinkle on some grated cheese and gently toss it some more. Keep adding cheese and tossing. You’ll maybe add about a half cup—more or less, depending on how you like it.
- If you have some chopped parsley—not required but highly recommended—add that, too, and toss some more.
- Finish with a bit of fresh cracked pepper.
Buon Appetito!
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