Orecchiette con cime di rapa (orecchiette with turnip tops)

For ➋ 

250 g orecchiette,

3 garlic cloves, sliced 

½ red chilli, sliced or 2 tsp red pepper flakes

5 anchovies*

200 g turnip tops (leaves teared from stems, chopped)**, or tenderstem broccoli

pecorino or toasted breadcrumbs (optional) 

alt:

150 g Italian sausage

fresh rosemary

white wine

Begin by making and cooking the orecchiette and cooking it in salted boiling water. If using dried pasta, add the shredded turnip tops and cook together. If not, cook the shredded turnip tops in oil in a pan.

Meanwhile, gently fry the garlic and chilli with the anchovies in a little of their oil until the has softened a little and the anchovies have dissolved.

Drain the pasta (reserve 1 tbs of the cooking water), then add the pasta and broccoli to the anchovy pan and toss a few m to coat the pasta evenly. If needed***, add 1 tbs of the cooking water.

Add some pecorino, or crumbled toasted breadcrumbs if wanted.

*or use meat from an Italian sausage instead. 

:: In a pan, add olive oil and sliced garlic in a cold pan.  Add the red pepper flakes and finely chopped fresh rosemary, then crumble the sausage meat. Turn on the heat and cook for 10 m.  Add the chopped turnip tops until soft and tender. Add a small glass of white wine.

Cook the orecchiette in boiling water for 8 m. Drain and add the orecchiette to the vegetables. Add some pecorino, or crumbled toasted breadcrumbs if wanted. ::

**or use tenderstem broccoli.

***when using fresh pasta

Spicy & bright Brussels sprouts pasta

For ➋-➌

fine sea salt

200-300 g Brussels sprouts 

5 garlic cloves 

1 shallot (optional) 

200 g orecchiette pasta 

1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil 

1 tbs butter 

zest of 1 lemon 

½ ts crushed red pepper flakes 

80-90 g grated Romano cheese 

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, chop the Brussels sprouts into ribbons. Transfer the shredded sprouts to a bowl and set aside. Slice the garlic and the shallot, if using, into half-moons. When the pasta water is boiling, add the orecchiette and cook according to the package instructions until the pasta is al dente. 

While the pasta is cooking, in a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil and melt the butter. Add the garlic and shallot and sauté until fragrant, about 1 m. Add the Brussels sprouts and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt. Cover memove the lid and stir the vegetables—you should see some browning and the Brussels sprouts should be bright green and just tender. Reduce the heat to low, add the lemon zest and red pepper flakes, stir and cook until the pasta is done, about 4 m more. When the pasta is done, use a strainer or slotted spoon to transfer it directly into the pan with the vegetables. (Reserve the pasta water.) 

Stir to combine, then add 40-45 g of the grated Romano and 12 cl or so of the pasta cooking water. Stir briskly, adding more of the Romano and loosening with more pasta water as needed, up to 16 cl, until the pasta is loose and saucy. 

Taste and adjust the seasoning with more lemon zest, red pepper flakes or Romano. 

Top with a bit more Romano before serving.

Mushroom lasagne

For ➏

750 g chestnut mushrooms, halved 

500 g oyster mushrooms 

13 cl olive oil, plus extra for greasing 

60 g dried porcini 

30 g dried wild mushrooms 

2 dried red chillies, roughly chopped, (remove the seeds for a less spicy result) 

50 cl hot vegetable stock 

1 onion, peeled, quartered 

5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped 

1 carrot, scraped, quartered, 90 g 

2-3 roma tomatoes, quartered, 200 g 

75 g tomato paste 

13 cl whipped cream* 

60 g pecorino romano, finely grated* 

60 g Parmigiano, finely grated* 

5 g basil leaves, finely chopped 

10 g parsley leaves, finely chopped, plus 1 ts extra for dressing 

250 g dried lasagne sheets (approx. 14 sheets)** 

salt & black pepper

Heat the oven to 230 °C. 

Place the chestnut and oyster mushrooms in three or four batches in the large bowl of a food processor and chop finely using the pulse button (or chop by hand). In a large mixing bowl, toss the chopped mushrooms with 3 tbs oil and 1 ts salt and spread on a large, parchment-lined baking tray with a raised edge measuring 40 x 35 cm. Bake them in the top of the oven for 30 m, turning them three times in between until the mushrooms are golden brown; the volume will have shrunk considerably. Set them aside. Lower the oven temperature to 200 °C.

Meanwhile, in another mixing bowl, mix the dried mushrooms with chilies and hot stock and soak for 30 m. Strain the liquid into a third bowl and press as much moisture as possible out of the mushrooms, you will need about 34 cl in total; top up the soaking water with fresh water if necessary. Chop the soaked mushrooms very coarsely (so that there are also large pieces) and chop the chilies. Set aside the stock and mushrooms separately. 

Chop the onion, garlic and carrot in the food processor with the pulse button (or by hand). Heat 6 cl oil in a large sauté pan over medium to high heat. When hot, add the onion mixture and cook for 8 m, stirring occasionally, until cooked through and golden brown. 

Chop the tomatoes in the food processor with the pulse button (or chop them by hand), add them with the tomato paste, 1½  ts salt and 1¾ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper. Let everything simmer for 7 m, stirring occasionally. Add the soaked mushrooms, chilies and toasted mushrooms and let everything cook gently for 9 m, resist the urge to stir: the mushrooms should be slightly crispy and brown on the underside. 

Stir in the reserved stock and 80 cl water, turn the heat to medium-high when everything is simmering gently and let the sauce simmer for about 25 m, stirring occasionally until it has the consistency of ragout. Stir 10 cl of whipped cream into the sauce and let it simmer for 2 m more then take the pan off the heat. 

Mix the pecorino and Parmigino with basil and parsley in a small bowl. When assembling the lasagna, spread one-fifth of the sauce over the bottom of a round baking dish of 28 cm in diameter (or a rectangular dish of 30 x 20 cm), spread one-fifth of the cheese mixture on top, followed by a layer of lasagne sheets, broken where necessary to make them fit. Repeat these layers three times in the same order, finishing with a layer of sauce and cheese: a total of five layers of sauce and cheese, and four layers of pasta. 

Drizzle the top with 1 tbs of cream and 1 tbs of oil, cover the dish with aluminum foil and put it in the oven for 15 m. Remove the foil, increase the oven temperature to 220 ° C and bake the lasagna for another 12 m, turning the dish halfway through the baking time. Switch the oven to the grill setting and grill the lasagna for 2 m until the edge is brown and crispy. 

Put the bowl aside, let the lasagna cool for about 5 m, then drizzle the top with the remaining whipped cream and oil. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley, finally grind a generous twist of pepper and serve. 

*Discard for vegan version.

**Make it ahead of time and refrigerate it to serve it with pasta or polenta and save yourself the trouble of putting together a lasagna if you don't have much time. You can prepare the lasagna in advance, put it in the refrigerator and bake it the next day (after it has reached room temperature). 

This special ragout pays tribute to the penne all'Aconese,  served at Restaurante Pizzeria Acone, a community-run restaurant in the Tuscan town of Acone. The recipe is a carefully kept secret, but the complex, earthy and full umami flavor of dried porcini is not to be missed. This is Ottolenghi's meatless take on that mythical sauce.

Minestra col battuto alla Romana (Lazio mince soup)

For ➍
100 g pork meat (cheek)
¼ onion
1 clove garlic
parsley
celery
extra virgin olive oil
grated pecorino cheese
1.5 l beef broth
small pasta
salt & pepper

Mince pork, onion, celery, parsley.
Fry slightly vegetables and mince in oil.
Add beef broth and bring to boil.
Add pasta and cook till done.
Serve with pecorino cheese.

This Lazio (the region around Rome) soup uses a battuto as a base. Read more on battuto.
Read more battuto recipes: battuto, Italian fish parcel, Ligurian pasta pine nut sauce.

Pasta with samphire tapenade & sea spinach

For ➍
tapenade:
100 g samphire
1 handfull unsalted cashew nuts
1 clove garlic
4 tbs olive oil, extra virgin
juice ½ lemon (or more to taste)
pepper
pasta:
500 g spaghetti
100 g sea spinach
1 clove garlic
3 hands of sun-dried tomatoes
olive oil
shaved lamb's cheese or pecorino

For the tapenade, wash the samphire and cut the garlic into large pieces. Pour the olive oil into the food processor, adding a handful of the samphire. While turning, add the rest of the samphire, the garlic, and the lemon juice. Also add the cashew nuts and turn into a coarse pasta. Season with pepper.
Wash the sea spinach and cut the garlic into small pieces. Put the wok on the fire and let it get well hot. Pour some olive oil in the pan and add the garlic. Then quickly sprinkle the sea spinach in the wok and stir-fry very briefly while constantly stirring.
Cook the spaghetti al dente. When the spaghetti is ready, stir in the tapenade. Put the spaghetti on the plates and carefully mix the sea spinach and the sun-dried tomatoes into the pasta.
Toss small pinch of pepper and possibly some olive oil and some cheese on the pasta

Carbonara alla romana

For ➋
200 g pasta (penne or straight macaroni)
3 yolks of organic eggs
70 g pecorino romano (18 months old)
80 g guanciale (pork jowl bacon from Amatrice, ideally aged 6-8 months)
penja pepper from the mill

Boil the pasta in strongly salted water (5 to 10 g per l), depending on the time indicated on the package.
In a mixing bowl au bain-marie, beat the egg yolks with half the cheese. Season with pepper to taste.
Bake the pieces of guanciale in a (preferably iron) pan, until golden brown and crispy. Separate the meat from the fat and set it aside so that it can be added later when the preparation is heated in a bain-marie.
Drain the pasta as soon as it is ready and put it in the bowl with the mixture of egg yolks and cheese. Heat au bain-marie like with a sabayon to lighten the dish.
Add 30 g of boiling water and the fat from the cheeks, together with the rest of the cheese and some pepper. If the mixture is too fluid, add some cheese. If it is too dry, add some cooking water from the starchy pasta.
Before serving, sprinkle a little cheese and a large pinch of pepper over the plate. Conclude with the guanciale (who must remain warm during the entire preparation). Serve at room temperature, with a glass of Franciacorta (Lombard sparkling wine)

A recipe from chef Filippo La Vecchia of Osteria Romana in Brussels.

Cod with parsnip mash

For ➍
600 g cod fillets (when frozen, thaw for 20 m & pat dry)
500 g parsnips, cut into pieces
500 g oyster mushrooms, torn
juice ½ lemon
1 box of garden cress, picked
2 cloves garlic, chopped
50 g pecorino, grated
3 dl of milk
2 tbs butter
50 g almond flakes
black pepper & salt

Season fish with black pepper and salt.
Boil the pieces of parsnip and half of the garlic for 15 m in the milk. Drain.
Meanwhile, melt 1 tbs butter in a pan and fry the oyster mushrooms together with the rest of the garlic until golden brown. Season with black pepper and salt.
Meanwhile, toast the almond flakes in a non-stick pan with no fat. Remove from the pan.
Melt 1 tbs butter in the same pan and fry the fish on both sides for 3 to 4 m golden brown.
Mix the parsnip and season with black pepper and salt. Add the lemon juice and the grated pecorino.
Spread the parsnip mash over the plates and put the oyster mushrooms and fried cod on top. Sprinkle with the toasted almond flakes and finish with some cress. Serve with boiled potatoes or croquettes.

Roman carbonara

For ➍
10 slices of guanciale, chopped (or pancetta)
500 g spaghetti
knob of butter
1 ts black peppercorns
5 egg yolks
1 egg
3 tbs young pecorino romano, softly grated

Cook spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water
In a sauté pan, heat a knob of butter, then put in the guanciale or pancetta and fry until golden and crispy. Take off the heat, and lift out to a warm plate, so that it stays crunchy.
Put about a teaspoonful of black peppercorns into the pan and crush with a meat hammer or the end of a rolling pin, then add a couple of spoonfuls of the cooking water from the pasta and stir it around to take up all the bits of guanciale or pancetta which may have stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Beat 5 egg yolks and a whole egg in a warm bowl with 3 tbs of grated young pecorino romano.
1 m before the spaghetti is ready, start to mix in a ladleful of the cooking water at a time until the eggs and cheese become creamy.
Drain the pasta (but reserve the cooking water) and toss it in the pan of pepper, together with the reserved guanciale or pancetta.
Add a little more cooking water if the pasta seems too dry, then transfer it to the bowl of eggs and cheese and toss well, until coated in the silky mixture. The heat of the spaghetti will cook the eggs without scrambling them. Add more black pepper, if you like.

This recipe of Giorgio Locatelli uses guanciale, which comes from the pork cheek, and has less fat than pancetta. Don’t cut it too finely or regularly, as you want a nice chunk to bite into every now and then amid the silkiness of the egg.
Some people add the eggs and cheese to the pan, but it is easy to underestimate the heat of the pan, and the danger is always that the eggs will scramble. So I prefer to mix the eggs and cheese in a warm bowl and then tip in the hot spaghetti, which will cook the eggs but keep their silkiness.
The classic spaghetti carbonare recipe, with links to similar recipes.

Zuni Cafe pasta alla carbonara

For ➍-➎
4 or 5 thick slices (140 g) bacon, cut into small segments
5 tbs extra virgin olive oil
4 large or 5 small eggs, at room temperature, beaten
½ cup (10 cl) fresh ricotta cheese, at room temperature
450 g spaghetti, penne, or bucatini pasta
¾ cup shucked sweet English peas or mature sugar snap peas or double-peeled favas
50 g pecorino romano or pecorino sardo, grated
salt & freshly cracked black pepper

Warm the bacon in the olive oil in a sauté pan over low heat. It should gradually render a little fat, which will mix with the oil.
Meanwhile, lightly beat the eggs with the ricotta.
Drop the pasta into 6 quarts rapidly boiling water seasoned with a scant 2 tbs salt. Stir, and cook until al dente.
When the pasta is about 1 m from being al dente, add the peas or favas to the water, and raise the heat under the bacon. Cook the bacon until it is just crispy on the edges but still tender in the middle. Turn off the heat, slide the pan from the heat, and swirl it a few times to cool it slightly.
Drain the pasta, shake off the excess water, and slide the pasta and peas or favas into the pan of bacon; you’ll hear a discreet sizzle. Place back on the burner (the one you used to cook the bacon, which should still be quite warm). Immediately pour the beaten eggs all over the steaming pasta, add most of the pecorino and lots of cracked black pepper, and fold to combine. Work quickly so the heat of the noodles, bacon and bacon fat slightly cooks the eggs. The eggs and ricotta will coat the pasta and form tiny, soft, golden curds.
Serve in warm bowls and offer the remaining pecorino and black pepper.

Try the original recipe. Or a Japanese fusion recipe.

Abruzzi lamb & red pepper ragu with penne

For ➑
1 tbs olive oil
2 cups finely chopped red onion
1½ cups chopped yellow bell pepper
1½ cups chopped red bell pepper
4 ts minced garlic cloves
350 g lean ground lamb
10 cl dry red wine
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
4 tbs chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided
1 ts salt
½ ts crushed red pepper
4 bay leaves
40 cl fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
500 g hot cooked penne (about 500 g uncooked tube-shaped pasta or other short pasta)*
50 g grated fresh Pecorino Romano cheese

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, bell peppers, and garlic. Cover and cook 12 m, stirring occasionally. Remove onion mixture from pan.
Add lamb to pan. Cook over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain. Wipe drippings from pan with a paper towel. Return onion mixture and lamb to pan. Add wine. Bring to a boil. Cook 10 m or until liquid almost evaporates.
Add tomatoes, 3 tbs parsley, salt, crushed red pepper, bay leaves, and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Simmer 10 m. Discard bay leaves.
Add pasta and cheese. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with 1 tbs parsley.

*Or toast some good bread. Put it on a plate. Spon the lamb stew over it.

No-cook pasta sauce

For ➊
tomatoes*
olive oil
fresh basil, mint or parsley
garlic clove
Parmigiano or pecorino cheese**
salt & pepper

Chop tomatoes, mix with olive oil, chopped fresh basil, mint, or parsley, season with salt and pepper and a bit of chopped garlic (or 2 bruised garlic cloves, remove before serving).

Let rest at room temperature for 30 m to let flavors meld.

Cook pasta in well-salted water, drain, do not rinse, combine with sauce, and toss well.

Add cheese. Toss again, and check seasoning.

Serve on warm (not hot) plates.

*Or dice very ripe tomatoes. Chop some fresh rucola. Toss this and some toasted pine nuts with hot pasta; grind over some pepper. Squeeze a garlic clove. Top with grated pecorino or Parmigiano.
**Use softer cheeses like fresh mozzarella, brie, goat or feta cheese, they will meld into the hot pasta, making for a luxurious texture.

Read the similar Sophia Loren raw tomato sauce or cold tomato sauce.

Spring pea & ricotta torte with lemon & mint

For ➑
1 tbs unsalted butter
1shallot, finely chopped,
450 g shelled peas
salt
6 cl water or chicken stock
25 cl whole milk ricotta
¼ ts ground nutmeg
4 large eggs
4 tbs creme fraiche
4 tbs finely grated Parmigiano cheese, plus extra for sprinkling
4 tbs finely grated young pecorino cheese
2 tbs finely chopped fresh mint
2 ts finely grated lemon zest
1 ts freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 190°C. Butter a 22 cm springform pan and wrap bottom with foil to prevent any leakage.
Melt 1 tbs butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until softened, one minute. Add peas and 1 teaspoon salt; sauté briefly to coat. Add water or stock. Cook until peas are tender and liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Transfer half of the peas to a bowl of a food processor; purée. Add ricotta and nutmeg; pulse to blend. Add eggs one at a time, blending well after each addition. Transfer to a bowl. Whisk in creme fraiche, Parmigiano and pecorino cheeses. Stir in remaining peas, mint, lemon zest, ½ ts salt and black pepper.
Pour eggs into prepared springform pan. Sprinkle with Parmigiano cheese. Bake in oven until edges are golden brown and center is puffed and cooked through, about 30-35 m.
Remove and let cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Asparagus & pecorino

For ➑
200 g fresh green asparagus
1 tbs olive oil
½ ts fresh lemon juice
60 g pecorino Romano cheese, diced & smashed into little bits
a few cracks fresh black pepper

Snap off the root ends of the asparagus and slice it cross-wise into 0.5 to 1 cm long pieces.
In a medium bowl whisk together the oil and lemon juice. Toss in the asparagus and cheese. Combine well.
Divide into small cups, ramekins or bowls and top with black pepper.

Try another small cup appetizer.

Miso & mushroom omelet with kale salad

For ➍
1 tbs miso paste
4 eggs
1 tbs olive oil
200 g mushrooms, chopped
200 g kale, chopped, tough stems discarded (2 x volume of mushrooms)*
½ ts kosher salt
25 g unsalted chopped raw pecans or walnuts
75 g grated pecorino Romano cheese
for the vinaigrette*
1 clove garlic, finely minced
½ ts kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
4 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 ts chile oil or chile sauce (optional)
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 ts Dijon mustard
2 ts honey

Make the salad dressing by combining the vinaigrette ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well to combine. Taste and add more salt as needed.
Whisk the miso paste with the eggs. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and swirl in the olive oil. Add in the mushrooms and sauté for 2 m, or until mushrooms softened. Add in the egg and turn the heat to medium. Let cook for 2 m. Cover and let cook for an additional 1-2 m or until eggs are set.
While eggs are cooking, place the kale in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt. Using massaging motion, rub the kale leaves together to break up and soften the kale.
When ready to serve, slice omelet in strips. Toss kale with some of the dressing, chopped nuts and pecorino Romano cheese. Serve with omelet.

*use broccoli or cavalo nero instead

**use about ¼

Pasta alla Norma (Sicilian pasta with tomatoes & eggplant)

For ➏
6 medium-sized eggplants, about 500 g, peeled if wanted
3 cloves garlic, chopped
500 g sun-ripened plum tomatoes, blanched, peeled & chopped*
6-8 basil leaves, shredded***
450 g spaghetti or rigatoni
60 g grated pecorino romano, salted ricotta or Parmigiano
salt & pepper to taste
olive oil (or corn oil) for frying**
1 small onion (optional)
1 tbs of capers (optrional)
½ ts hot pepper flakes (optional)

Peel and slice the eggplant into 1 cm slices, salt the slices, and let them sit in a colander for about 1 h. (Dice them if wanted). Rinse them, pat them dry (put on some weight to remove moisture), and fry them a few pieces at a time in hot oil, turning them so both sides brown, and setting them to drain on absorbent paper.**
Set water to boil, and while it's heating heat 16 tbs oil in a pot, sauté the garlic (and onion) briefly. Stir in the blanched, peeled tomatoes*. Season with salt and abundant pepper or ½ ts hot pepper flakes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking the sauce figuring 15-20 m in all. 5 m before it's done, add the shredded basil***.
Keep an eye on the pasta pot while preparing the sauce, and as soon as the water boils salt it and cook the spaghetti.
(Meanwhile, pour oil into a saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat. Add capers and cook, stirring occasionally, until popped open and crisp, 1–2 m. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.)
When the spaghetti are al dente, drain them and season them with the tomato sauce.
If you are bringing bowls of pasta to the table, divvy the spaghetti into four bowls and divide the eggplant slices among them. If you are instead serving a big bowl of pasta, season the pasta with the tomato sauce and them carefully mix the slices of eggplant into it.
In either case, sprinkle the pasta with much of the cheese, and serve it with the remaining cheese on the side.

* Use different types of tomatoes, sweet flesh tomatoes and tangy Roma tomatoes. Add ½ ts hot pepper flakes if wanted.
** To avoid the oil, bake or grill the eggplants.
*** Add a few stalks of thyme (optional).

'Pasta alla Norma' is a classic dish of Sicily. The lore of its origin goes back to a 19th-century opera composer Vincenzo Bellini, who was born in Catania, Sicily. As his fame grew, especially with 'Norma', a chef from Catania named his creative pasta dish after the opera.

Bucatini all'Amatriciana (Amatriciana pasta)

For ➍
500 g bucatini or thick spaghetti
100 g pancetta or guanciale, diced*
100 g ripe tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded & chopped
½ onion, minced
pepper, seeded & shredded
10 cl olive oil
freshly grated pecorino Romano

Set the pasta water to heat, salt it when it boils, and cook the pasta.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet, add the diced meat, and cook until it browns, stirring the pieces about. Remove them to a sheet of absorbent paper with a slotted spoon and keep them warm.
Add the onion to the grease in the pan, together with the hot pepper. When it begins to color, add the well drained tomato pieces. Cook, stirring, for 5-6 m, then return the diced pancetta to the pot and heat it through. Drain the pasta while it's still a little al dente, turn it into the skillet with the sauce, cook 1 m more, stirring the pasta to coat the strands.
Serve with grated pecorino.

*Bacon is not a good substitute, because it is smoked and also contains sugar not present in either pancetta or guanciale.

Named after the city of Amatrice in northern Lazio, Amatriciana sauce derives from a much older sauce called La Gricia, which the shepherds used to make by sautéing diced guanciale so gently as to keep it from browning, and adding freshly boiled pasta, a healthy dusting of pepper, and grated pecorino Romano. The Amatriciana sauce, with tomatoes, was initially enjoyed by the nobility, because only they could afford tomatoes.
In Amatrice, it is prepared without onions, which is not typical of standard recipes from outside the area.

Spaghetti alla carbonara (coal miner's wife's spaghetti)

For ➍
400 g dried spaghetti
175 g piece smoked pancetta (at least 0.5 cm thick), rind removed*
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped**
handful flat leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
3 large free-range eggs, beaten***
7 cl white wine***
50 g pecorino Sardo maturo cheese (mature Sardinian pecorino), finely grated
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Bring 4 l of water to the boil in a large saucepan with 8 ts of salt. Add the spaghetti and cook for 9 m or until al dente.
Meanwhile, cut the pancetta into short little strips, about 0.6 cm wide.
Heat a large, deep frying pan over a medium-high heat, add the oil and the pancetta. Fry until lightly golden. Add the garlic and parsley and cook for a few s, then remove from the heat and set aside.
Drain the spaghetti well, tip into the frying pan with the pancetta, garlic and parsley, add the beaten eggs and half the grated pecorino cheese. Toss together well.
Season to taste with a little salt and black pepper. The heat from the spaghetti will be sufficient to partly cook the egg, but still leave it moist and creamy.
Serve in warmed pasta bowls. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.

*Belly-meat, not to be confused with ordinary ham.
**Or cut cloves in half, add to the heated oil, remove after finishing the sauce.
***Use only the egg yolks and add white wine to the pancetta, garlic and parsley mix.

Although associated with Lazio, the region around Rome, the origin of this recipe is uncertain. Some say it was taken from Umbria to Rome by revolutionaries in the 19th century; other people say it belongs to a Neapolitan noble, Ippolito Cavalcanti, who published it in a book.
This dish could derive from the union of ingredients and ideas between the U.S. soldiers, arriving in Rome in 1944, and the chefs of the local restaurants. The soldiers supplied bacon and powdered eggs, the chefs their fantasy. This was the version became widely spread after WWII in America and Europe, most of the time with cream (and eventually mushrooms) added to the sauce, making it look and taste like fettuccine Alfredo, an hybrid American-Italian pasta favourite. The charcoal in the name refers to the baking of the bacon. This recipe is close to that favoured by the official Accademia Italiana della Cucina.
Read more on American-Italian hybrids: fettuccine Alfredo, spaghetti alla puttanesca, chicken Marsala, white pizza, American Italian spaghetti with meatballs & tomato sauce.
Read more spaghetti & linguine recipes: a quick spaghetti, spaghetti with scallops & tomatoes, scallops & rucola spaghetti, spaghetti with vegetables, shrimps fra diavolo, raw tomato spaghetti, spaghetti with clams, spaghetti with small clams, spaghetti with oil & garlic, spaghetti alla puttanesca, Palermo spaghetti with tomatoes & mint, American-Italian spaghetti with meatballs, vermicelli with parsley sauce, shrimps & Brie linguine, butter & tomato pasta sauce, lemon pasta with sea spinach.
Read the Japanese fusion recipe for pasta carbonara. Or an American café version.
Use the Roman version with guanciale, cured pork cheeks.

Warm mushroom salad with hazelnuts & pecorino

For ➍
50 g hazelnuts
2 tbs finely diced shallots
3 tbs sherry or a white wine vinegar
9 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 kg button or assorted mushrooms, cleaned & sliced
2 tbs salted butter
175 g salad greens such as frisé or arugula
25 g mix of fresh herbs (chives, tarragon...)
1 ts fresh thyme or a couple pinches of dried
1-2 sliced shallots
125 g pecorino or Parmigiano

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Toast the hazelnuts on a baking sheet for 8 to 10 m, rolling them around once or twice to make sure they toast evenly. Rub nuts in a dish towel to remove skins then let cool. Chop the hazelnuts coarsely.
Whisk the shallots, vinegar, ½ ts salt together in a bowl and let sit for 5 m (this will soften and almost pickle the shallots), before whisking in 5 tbs olive oil.
Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbs olive oil and 1 tbs butter until the butter foams. Add half the mushrooms, half the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Sauté the mushrooms for about 5 m, until they’re softened but not limp (cooking time will depend on the type of mushrooms).
Transfer mushrooms to a plate then repeat with the second half. When they are cooked, return the first half of the mushrooms to the pan then toss in sliced shallots, cooking for an additional 2 m.
Spread salad greens on a plate. Sprinkle fresh herbs on top, if using. Spoon hot mushrooms over the salad greens. Pour three-quarters of the vinaigrette in the sauté pan and swirl it in the pan until heated. Season it with ¼ ts salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour over salad and toss carefully.
Use a vegetable peeler to shave cheese over the salad. Sprinkle with hazelnuts. Serve immediately.

Cacio e pepe (spaghetti with cheese & pepper)

For ➍-➑*
4 tbs olive oil
500 g dried spaghetti (or the thicker tonnarelli)
2 tbs butter
120 g Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated**
1½ ts finely ground black pepper
salt***

Cook spaghetti in well-salted water in a large, wide-bottomed pot. Drain spaghetti, reserving 30 cl of pasta cooking water.

Dry out your pot, then heat the olive oil over high heat until almost smoking. Add drained spaghetti and 20 cl of pasta water. (This will splatter, so step back).****

Add butter, 80 g of cheese, ground pepper and toss together with tongs. Taste, adding more pasta water, cheese, pepper or salt (which should not be necessary, as Romano is very salty) to taste.

Serve immediately, sprinkling with cheese and an extra grind or two of black pepper.

*4 as a main course, 8 as a starter.
**Use a mix of Pecorino and the smoother Cacio di Roma.
***Optional.
****To minimize spattering, add butter first. You can add pepper to the oil. A very basic variant would be to avoid the oil, add the cheese and some cooking water to the pasta, finishing it with the pepper.

'Cacio e pepe' is a classic from the Rome region. As usual, there are a zillion ways to make it.

Japanese pasta carbonara

For ➋
40 g freshly grated pecorino romano
1 large raw egg
freshly ground black pepper
1 tbs olive oil
125 g guanciale, pancetta or bacon
1 small shallot minced
2 slow cooked eggs*
chopped chives
175 g pasta (spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine) boiled according to package directions

Put the pecorino and black pepper in a large bowl and set aside.

Boil the pasta according to the package directions and drain.

Add the olive oil to the pot you boiled the pasta in and fry the guanciale (or pancetta or bacon) and shallots until it is cooked and the shallots are fragrant. Add the drained pasta to the pot and toss to coat.

Dump the pasta into the bowl with the cheese and pepper then break the raw egg on top. Toss to distribute the egg and cheese evenly.

Top each bowl of pasta with a slow cooked egg* and sprinkle with chives.

Slow cooked eggs, 'onsen tamago' in Japanese means egg in hot spring, as the temperature of a hot spring at 77°C is the ideal cooking temperature to slow cook an egg, where the yolk stays creamy and the white turns into custard. Replace them with poached eggs.
Read the classic Italian spaghetti carbonara. Or an American café version.