Carbone Recipe
Make Carbone Recipe in just 1h . Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
Was this page helpful?
Help improve this recipe for others.
Send this recipe to your inbox.
We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.
Ingredients
Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Spaghetti and finishing
Sauce (Carbone-style tomato-veal sauce with guanciale)
Method
Sauce (Carbone-style tomato-veal sauce with guanciale)
- 1
Render guanciale
Place a large heavy-bottomed skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add the diced guanciale (or pancetta) and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat is rendered and the pieces are crisp but not burnt, about 8–10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the crisped meat to a bowl and reserve; keep the fat in the pan.
- 2
Sweat aromatics
Add 1 tablespoon of the butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan with the rendered fat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the finely diced onion and a pinch of salt and sweat gently until translucent and soft, about 6–8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and dried red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30–45 seconds—do not brown the garlic.
- 3
Toast tomato paste and deglaze
Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, 2–3 minutes until it darkens slightly (this deepens flavor). Pour in the white wine to deglaze, scraping any browned bits from the pan. Increase heat to medium and reduce the wine by about half, about 3–4 minutes.
- 4
Add tomatoes and stock
Add the crushed San Marzano tomatoes, the beef/veal demi-glace (or concentrated beef stock), the remaining butter, and the optional sugar. Stir to combine, bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to low. Simmer gently for 25–30 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the flavors meld and the sauce slightly thickens.
- 5
Finish sauce
Stir in the reserved crisped guanciale, 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, and adjust salt to taste. If the sauce is too thick, stir in up to 1/2 cup reserved pasta water to loosen. Keep sauce warm over the lowest heat while you cook the pasta.
- 6
Temper egg yolks and cheese (for creamy finish)
In a medium bowl, whisk together the beaten egg yolks and the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Gradually ladle about 1/2 cup of the hot sauce into the egg-cheese mixture, whisking constantly to temper and avoid scrambling the yolks. Once warmed, pour the tempered mixture back into the pan with the sauce and stir quickly to combine into a silky emulsion. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
Spaghetti and finishing
- 7
Cook pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a vigorous boil. Add 1 tablespoon kosher salt and the spaghetti. Cook until just shy of al dente (about 1–2 minutes less than package instructions), reserving 1 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water before draining. Timing: about 8–9 minutes depending on pasta.
- 8
Combine pasta and sauce
Add the drained spaghetti to the pan with the sauce. Toss over medium-low heat, adding reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time as needed to achieve a glossy, slightly saucy coating. Continue tossing for 1–2 minutes so the pasta finishes cooking in the sauce and absorbs flavor.
- 9
Finish with cheese and butter
Off the heat, add the grated Pecorino/Parmesan and the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Toss vigorously to create a silky emulsion that coats the spaghetti. Taste and adjust seasoning with black pepper and salt if needed.
- 10
Serve
Divide the spaghetti among warmed plates, spoon additional sauce and some crisped guanciale on top, garnish with chopped parsley if using, and finish with extra grated cheese and a crack of black pepper. Serve immediately.