016: Decadent Pasta, Two Nights in a Row
Don't let the Guanciale go to waste
Guanciale is such a good word, isn’t it? I love saying it in an over-the-top mock Italian accent, putting extra emphasis on the chhhh sound and drawing out the “cialeehhhhh.” Luckily for me, it’s sold at our local grocery store, but I don’t buy it often. Like bacon, I struggle to use it all up, as we don’t consume pork terribly often at home. These days though I’m actively trying to improve my habits to avoid carelessnessly wasting food (especially animal product)—whether by adding the last of our bacon to a pot of beans, or whipping up bacon and egg sandwiches (something I rarely make, but whenever I do wonder why not), or in the case of this story, having no qualms about making incredibly decadent pasta two nights in a row.
I picked up some Guanciale in the first place because I planned to make Trevor Joyce’s Pasta e Ceci. Add chickpeas and sage to a creamy Roman-style pasta, and I am coming to the party. First you fry up some sage for garnish, and then make a sauce by rendering the fat of the pork jowl until the bits remaining are crispy, and then with that fat, saute onions, more sage, and chickpeas until you have the beginnings of a sauce. Add the pasta (in this case shells), and the bits of Guanciale previously removed, and you have on your hands something very delicious. My only note is to recommend grinding LOTS and lots of black pepper on top. It balances out the richness of the pork.
The following evening I approached my fridge and pantry, both admittedly a bit spare, with no plan. That day we spent over four hours at a car dealership (why is acquiring a car always the most painful process??). I felt like a prisoner. I only bring this up to partially explain why we hadn’t gone grocery shopping. Also it was an exhausting, lost day that merited comfort food, despite having comfort food the previous evening. One of my personal mottos is never regret pasta—eating it or serving it, whatever.
How often do I have Guanciale? Not often, so making Carbonara felt almost obligatory. All four of the Roman pastas (Amatriciana, Cacio e Pepe, Pasta alla gricia, and of course Carbonara) are good to have in your back pocket for whenever relying most on staples. Trevor’s Pasta e Ceci fresh in my mind I set about making the Carbonara without consulting a recipe, and was really proud of the result. So I’m including my preparation here. I’ve made it many times in the past, guided by many different recipes, some more helpful than others (I’ve had my share of scrambled eggs pasta—I’ll put it that way). My advice is to work fast and slow (I know, I know). Add the eggs slowly—but toss rapidly—and don’t be afraid to pause to add hot pasta water to prevent your eggs from scrambling.
Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Ingredients:
4 egg yolks, 1 whole egg
Lots of grated parmesan (like 1/2 cup or more)
Parsley, finely chopped (a few tablespoons)
EVOO
3/4 c Guanciale, cubed (pancetta or even bacon would work as well, but they will render less fat)
Spaghetti
Freshly ground black pepper
Method:
Whisk the egg yolks, the whole egg, the parmesan, and the parsley together in a medium bowl. Season with a pinch of kosher salt (you’ll get a lot of salt from the pork, so tread lightly).
Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan or Dutch oven and add the Guanciale. Stir frequently until the fat has rendered and the remaining bits are crispy. Turn off the heat.
Meanwhile, bring a pot of heavily salted water to boil. Once hot, ladle some water into the egg mixture to temper them, and whisk once more. Once the water is boiling, add a handful of spaghetti and cook to pre-al dente (it will continue to cook once added to the sauce).
Put the pan of Guanciale back on med-low heat, and using tongs, add the pasta. Slowly drizzle the egg mixture into the pot, while tossing rapidly. Pause to add some pasta water, which will thicken the sauce and continue to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Gradually add the rest of the eggs, while tossing, pausing to add more pasta water here and there if necessary.
Continue to toss until the spaghetti is cooked to your liking, and the egg mixture is fully emulsifyed and thoroughly coating the pasta.
Serve in shallow bowls, and top with more parmesan and LOTS of freshly grated black pepper. Eat immediately!
Whisking the egg, egg yolks, Parmesan, and parsley 
Rendering the fat of the Guanciale, and crisping up the bits remaining 
Don’t forget to shower with more Parmesan and lots of freshly ground black pepper before serving.
Notable recipes round-up / First half of December ‘22
I’d like to begin highlighting other notable recipes, even if I don’t have time or inclination to write about them all here in the newsletter. Any recipes I choose to mention, I had a good experience making with a good result. Maybe you’ll incorporate them into your menu at some point. ;)
12.1 / Ali Stafford’s Orange Olive Oil and Almond Torte (via Colu Cooks)
I’ve made many an olive oil cake, and this is my favorite one to date. I used Amaro Sirene instead of Grand Marnier (since I didn’t have the latter) and it was excellent. Mine stayed in the oven much longer than the recipe instructed. A reminder that when baking cooking times are only ever suggestions, and to check regularly. Every oven is different.
12.2 / Chicken Congee (improvised, but I bet this one from NYT Cooking or this one from Colu Henry is excellent).
This was my first stab at congee and it was so good and so comforting. I approached it like a cross between porridge and risotto, and used my homemade chicken stock and shredded chicken. The baby loved it. The following day I had it for lunch with a fried egg on top. Both times I seasoned it with soy sauce, toasted sesame oil and chili crisp.
12.4 / Molly O’Neill’s Old Fashioned Beef Stew
Hands down my favorite beef stew. Bonus: It doesn’t take quite as long as other recipes. And doesn’t require as much wine which I appreciate.
12.5 / Mina Stone’s Crispy Roasted Arctic Char (from Lemon, Love & Olive Oil)
If I could afford to buy Arctic Char weekly I would make this weekly. It’s my favorite fish preparation. You basically just roast it for a very very long time until the skin is really crispy, and shred it. I serve it with a green salad and lots of lemon juice.
12.7 / Risi e Bisi (improvised, but I recommend Gabrielle Hamilton’s recipe)
Another favorite pantry staple meal. I squeeze tons of lemon juice and shower it with lots of Parmesan before serving.
12.8 / Alison Roman’s Goodbye Meatballs
An all-time favorite recipe. They’re amazing with just tomato sauce and Parmesan. I make them regularly until it starts to get warm out.
Misc. recommendations, while I have you…
Nigella’s Christmas Kitchen (YouTube) - This Nigella Lawson cooking show from 2006 is a total delight, instructive, and a satisfying time capsule. The music and the way some of it’s shot reminds me so much of early SATC. The cinematography is hilarious—half the time the camera is spying on her from behind her Christmas tree. I’ve never cooked a Nigella recipe (frankly, she is such an icon, I don’t know where to begin), but I love her charm and poise and the way that she narrates what she’s doing in the kitchen. And the way she describes why she loves something. If you have Nigella recs please send them my way.
Memorial by Bryan Washington (Bookshop) - I admit I have not finished this quite yet (I’m still struggling to make time for reading since having my baby, but I’m close to the end miraculously). It’s among my favorite genre: fiction not about food that happens to be filled with gorgeously written food passages.
The White Lotus (HBO Max), and all of the memes - You do not need my recommendation for this one. Odds are you watched it in real time like I did. But I’m obsessed with S2 and looking for another reason to discuss it. The thing is, I started out firmly not loving season 2, so imagine my surprise when I found myself deeply engrossed as the narrative developed further with each episode. I’m deeply fond of all of the characters and their stories and wish it was still ongoing. Mike White is brilliant and I miss it and the discourse surrounding it already.
That Nigella episode... !
My trick for keeping guanciale and pancetta is throwing it in the freezer and slicing it with a hot knife when you need to use a bit of it!