No, this is not a recipe for red sauce carbonara. Marinara means “sailor style” – theories abound in regard to how classic marinara sauce got its name. One posits that the sailors subsisted on the red tomato sauce while voyaging at sea as it was easy to prepare and didn't require too many ingredients – just some garlic, olive oil, and perhaps some herbs like oregano and/or basil.
While this recipe doesn't implement traditional marinara sauce, it does add a seafaring flair to the classic Roman pasta preparation. The sauce, with a base of two egg yolks, infuses the carbonara with a delicate brininess, care of smoked tuna carpaccio and salt-cured tuna roe.
Carbonara alla Marinara Recipe
Photo: Riccardo Lettieri, Styling: Beatrice Prada
Recipe: Joëlle Néderlants
Skill Level: Easy
Time 35 minutes
Ingredients for 4
12 oz. long fusilli or bucatini
1⁄2 cup milk
3 oz. smoked tuna carpaccio
2 large egg yolks
salt-cured tuna roe (fresh or grated)
1 tsp. sugar
1 garlic clove, peeled
extra-virgin olive oil
salt – pepper
Cut the smoked tuna carpaccio into 1⁄4" strips.
In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg yolks with sugar, a pinch of salt, and pepper.
Rub the surface of a 2 qt. saucepan with the garlic clove to impart aroma during cooking. Add the milk and bring to a boil. Pour in the egg yolk mixture and return to the saucepan.
Cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until the cream begins to thicken. If using a thermometer, this happens at around 175°F.
Remove from heat and let cool, then add tuna carpaccio strips.
Bring water to a boil in a 6 qt. pot, season with salt, add the pasta, and cook until al dente. Drain with a slotted spoon to keep the pasta wet. Toss with the tuna-infused cream, and salt-cured tuna roe to taste.
Top with 1 Tbsp. oil and pepper, and serve immediately.