It was April 6th six years ago when the pasta makers of Italian Food Union supported byInternational Pasta Organization they had the idea of creating an event to collect recipes on the theme of carbonara, one of the most loved and cooked pasta dishes in the world. The idea was a success that surprised even the organizers. And since that day April 6 has become Carbonara Day and today it is spread all over the world.
Roman dish which, despite being relatively young, both for the genuine goodness that distinguishes it and for being now known in every corner of the globe is a staple of the "made in Italy".
A dish that makes simplicity and genuine taste are its focal pointsrza, but simplicity does not mean ease of execution at all because to make a carbonara in a workmanlike manner you first need the TOP ingredients and then you have to be skilled in processing.
Around Carbonara legends, theses and stories flourish who see his supporters lined up on different fronts. In fact, there are a couple of major theories regarding his birth; one claims that carbonara is a sort of evolution of the "Cacio e pepe" as it was born thanks to the Carbonari who carried the main ingredients of the recipe in their haversacks. The most accredited version dates back to American soldiers arrived in Italy in the Second World War who combined the ingredients familiar to them, the "Ration K" consisting of eggs, bacon and spaghetti (discovered in Italy)preparing to eat. Their idea was liked by some Italian chefs, especially Romans, who perfected it until it became an iconic dish of Italian cuisine like many other dishes that have made the history of Italian gastronomy in the world.
The choice of Carnacina and Veronelli in favor of bacon
Then there is a version with the signature of a Carbonara dad, that of Renato Gualandi, a young Bolognese chef who in 1944 ion the occasion ofmeeting between the American Fifth Army and the British Eighth Army held in Riccione, would have unknowingly created a precursor dish of carbonara. Having become a cook for the allied troops in Rome from September 1944 to April 1945, Garlandi would then perfect the dish and it was an immediate success and imitated by all the Roman chefs.
But battle is above all on the use of pancetta or guanciale. In the first versions, the carbonara was always prepared using only bacon until, in the mid-60s, thanks to Luigi Carnacina and Luigi Veronelli, guanciale is used as the best alternative. Choosing theirs that comes too established in “La Grande Cucina”. But cream too it has aroused quite a few diatribes; and here too the two sacred monsters of the cuisine mentioned above contemplate "a few spoonfuls, of the very fresh and very creamy one". Cream and carbonara of which the illustrious spokesperson too Renato rascel who, as a DOC Roman he was, considered himself the bearer of the Capitoline tradition and therefore she also added a little cream.
Renato Rascel liked it with a little cream
Use of cream which also has its roots in the historical period in which carbonara was born or in the second post-war period when the eggs used were often in powder form (they were those of American rations) and so there was the need for a liquid and fat part for give the right texture. Or perhaps, and here comes another theory, because the gastronomes of that time looked with admiration at their colleagues from across the Alps whose culture saw the use of cream more than us Latins.
The fact is that, cream or no cream, carbonara continues to attract fleets of gourmet admirers, so much so that last year its party saw tens of millions of people who participated, in various capacities and with various results, on social networks to cook your own “Pasta alla Carbonara”.
For the occasion, three realities that make eating well their rule: Matteo Di Cola of ItalyFoodPorn, CarboGang and Golocius have joined forces to celebrate together with everyone this inimitable dish of the Roman tradition in Milan, Rome and Naples. A special menu will also be offered, at a cost of 50 euros for two people, including: 2 slices of carbonara pizza, 1 carbonara omelette, 1 carbonara Sbamburger®, 2 carbonara rigatoni and 2 soft drinks.
For those who want to make one of the most debated dishes at home – not only in Italy – due to the numerous versions and interpretations, there are strict rules to respect: the egg gives the creaminess, the guanciale the crunchy note, the pecorino the flavor and the black pepper the scent. The egg yolks with plenty of pecorino and pepper are beaten in a bowl until creamy. Meanwhile, in a non-stick pan, gently brown the bacon which will release a fragrant fat until it becomes crispy. Once the flame is turned off, everything is combined in the bowl with the egg, pecorino and pepper mixture. It's time to drain the pasta al dente and pour it into the bowl, mixing well and finish with more pecorino and pepper.
But there are not only cooking competitions on Carbonara Day. In Rimini the day is celebrated with a very special and enjoyable competition at the Bounty, Giuliano Lanzetti's historic pub considered a sort of carbonara temple, with an exclusive recipe handed down for over thirty years: a competition between three competitors, selected from over seventy candidates. To be crowned 'King of carbonara' it will not be enough to know life and miracles on the origins of the tasty dish but you need to be able to quickly eat a kilogram (ingredients included) of spaghetti alla carbonara, in a time that must be less than 25 minutes. That is, about 300 grams (three standard dishes) every eight minutes.
