Classic Spaghetti Carbonara and Italian Cooking Like Nonna

Italian Cooking Like Nonna: Authentic Family Recipes with Extraordinary Flavor and Endless Variations, written by Caroline De Luca, features over 60 homestyle Italian recipes with detailed, easy to follow tips. A few highlights include Ziti al Forno, Pork & Fennel Meatballs, Fritto Misto di Mare, Prosciutto & Melon Salad with Homemade Basil Oil, and Sweet Peach Jam Crostata. I will also be sharing her recipe for Classic Spaghetti Carbonara following the review.

Disclosure: I received this book from Page Street Publishing in exchange for my honest review. All opinions and statements are my own. This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Caroline De Luca

Caroline De Luca is a recipe developer and food photographer. She created The Delightful Cook to share her passion for food with others.

She is currently based in Melbourne, Australia. This is her first cookbook.

Italian Cooking Like Nonna

Caroline begins Italian Cooking Like Nonna with a short introduction and how growing up in a big Italian family developed her love for food.

Before jumping into the dishes, she has put together a guide to demonstrate basic techniques, homemade pasta, pizza dough, bread, and sauces.

Chapters are divided according to the following: The Complete Italian Essentials, Pasta Perfetto, The Great Pizza Journey, From the Land to the Sea, A Beautiful Beginning, Fresh & Vibrant Sides, and The Sweet Escape. The contents list the included recipes with page number for easy reference.

Caroline also provides the photography. Most of the recipes are accompanied by a quarter page photo of the finished dish. A few also have step-by-step photos to demonstrate specific techniques such as making orecchiette, cavatelli, and pappardelle.

Measurements are listed in US Customary and Metric. Titles are written in English or Italian. Each recipe includes a headnote with personal stories, background information, serving ideas, yield, and tips.

Classic Spaghetti Carbonara

Spaghetti Carbonara is a favorite of mine and I was so excited to come across this recipe! Spaghetti noodles are cooked until barely tender (they will soften further in the sauce), then tossed with an egg and cheese-based mixture until creamy with crisp pieces of guanciale or pancetta.

With Caroline’s exact and detailed instructions, the pasta turned out wonderfully with that iconic silky, light coating, just a few minutes, and a handful of ingredients.

One of the biggest mistakes when creating this dish (and I have definitely done this in the past) is adding the egg and cheese mixture while the pan is still heated. If the eggs touch the very hot pan, they will start to scramble and lose the notable creamy texture. Remove the pan from heat about 1 to 2 minutes before slowly adding the eggs.

Caroline mentions guanciale or pancetta are best for this dish. If neither is available, substitute with bacon, but keep in mind that smoked bacon or any added spices will change the flavor.

She also includes a more nontraditional option of swapping the meat for baby spinach or kale (13 ounces/390 grams), 2 medium zucchini (diced and sautéed), or 1 1/2 cups (105 grams) sautéed white mushrooms.

Other Dishes

I also made the Caramelized Onion & Mushroom Pizza, Easy Oven-Roasted Sausages & Potatoes, Fresh & Simple Bruschetta, and Panzanella.

The chapter on Pizza has such fantastic options and combinations. This Caramelized Onion & Mushroom Pizza included all of my favorite flavors! A homemade pizza dough is topped caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, and fresh burrata cheese.

The Easy Oven-Roasted Sausages & Potatoes were a perfect option for a simple, yet comforting meal. Sausages, baby potatoes, garlic, and onion are combined in a deep baking dish with olive oil and herbs. It is all baked until golden and tender.

The Fresh & Simple Bruschetta was an easy, light use for summertime tomatoes. Tomatoes are tossed with olive oil and minced garlic, then served over toasted baguette slices with fresh basil.

Panzanella is another great option for summer. Bite-sized pieces of bread are toasted, then tossed with tomatoes, cucumber, and red onion. Before serving, it is seasoned with olive oil and red wine vinegar to taste.

Italian Cooking Like Nonna is a great pick for those interested in homestyle Italian cuisine. There is a nice variety of pasta, pizza, meat, seafood, vegetarian options, and desserts. Some come together easily with just a handful of ingredients, while others require longer resting/cooking times or more prep.

Most of the ingredients are readily available in the average American grocery store. A few items that may require further searching include hazelnuts, semolina flour, saffron threads, ricotta salata, and rice flour.

Classic Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe

Excerpt from Italian Cooking Like Nonna

Print Pin

5 from 5 votes

Classic Spaghetti Carbonara

A recipe for Classic Spaghetti Carbonara from the cookbook, Italian Cooking Like Nonna! Just tender pasta is tossed with an egg and cheese-based sauce for a quick and delicious meal.

Course Main

Cuisine Italian

Keyword carbonara, meat, pasta, pork, spaghetti

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6 Servings

Ingredients

• 3 eggs beaten
• 1 cup (100 grams) Pecorino Romano cheese finely grated, plus more for serving
• 1/2 cup (50 grams) Parmesan cheese finely grated, plus more for serving
• Lots of freshly ground black pepper
• 10.5 ounces (300 grams) pancetta or guanciale diced into small pieces
• 1 pound (454 grams) dried spaghetti
• 1 cup (240 milliliters) reserved pasta water

Instructions

• Prepare the ingredients for the sauce by adding the eggs, cheeses and ground pepper into a bowl and whisking until combined. Set aside.
• In a medium-sized saucepan, add the diced pancetta or guanciale, and cook over low heat until the fat starts to render and the meat turns crispy, about 5 to 6 minutes.
• If you are using bacon, the thickness will determine the length of time it takes to cook. Keep an eye on it, but it should take about 3 to 5 minutes on each side to cook until crispy. If replacing the pancetta with baby spinach, cook with a little olive oil over low heat for about 2 to 3 minutes, until wilted.
• While the pancetta is cooking, fill a pot with water and bring it to a boil. Salt the water and add the spaghetti.
• Cook the pasta just under the recommended time, as it will continue to cook once you combine all the ingredients together.
• Reserve 1 cup (240 milliliters) of pasta water and set it aside, then drain the pasta and add it to the pancetta.
• Gently toss the spaghetti with the pancetta and add in some of the reserved pasta water, a little at a time, as this helps deglaze the bottom of the saucepan.
• This is very important: You must remove the saucepan from the heat before adding the egg mixture. When eggs hit a very hot pan they immediately start to scramble, which is something you do not want.
• Pull the saucepan away from the heat and allow it to cool for 1 or 2 minutes prior to adding the eggs. This will allow the mixture to keep its silky consistency and not curdle.
• Pour in the egg mixture a little at a time, while continually stirring the pasta. The residual heat will cook the eggs and create a creamy sauce.
• Once all the egg mixture has been incorporated into the pasta, keep on stirring it to reach the desired silky consistency. You can always add extra grated cheese if you feel your sauce is a little runny (in my eyes, adding more cheese is not really a bad thing). The spaghetti should be evenly coated in the silky sauce.
• Serve on a platter with another scattering of grated cheese and more freshly ground pepper.