We asked Barbara Agosti, chef of the aptly named Eggs restaurant in Trastevere, to share her very own carbonara recipe, a traditional interpretation by the chef that has been considered one the best in Rome for years now. In fact, for the last edition of TV show “MasterChef,” Agosti also presented this recipe, though in a new form – carbonara served on a stick!
As the name indicates, the core business of Agosti’s Eggs venue is (you guessed it!): Eggs! Of all shapes, sizes, and types. And even if it almost goes without saying – despite her Piedmontese origins – Barbara Agosti specialized in carbonara in Rome and she even dedicated an entire section of her menu to it, serving carbonara in a variety of ways.
Giving peace of mind to the Italian ‘pasta purists’ of the world, Agosti never veers too far from the original recipe’s theme – even if the recipe’s origins are relatively recent and we don’t really find it linked to a particular regional cuisine (at least historically speaking). Some even say the Americans had a hand in the recipe’s popularity during the Second World War; these sources say that American soldiers suggested the chefs in the area try the ‘egg-bacon’ combination with pasta. Since pasta alla gricia (or ‘pasta with guanciale and pecorino cheese’) was already widespread in Rome, adding egg probably seemed almost trivial to the Roman host-chefs at the time, leading to the rapid spread of the recipe throughout the country. As far as history is concerned, one of the first few sources citing the original carbonara recipe was actually published in our very own La Cucina Italiana – all the way back in 1954!
At Eggs, though, chef Barbara Agosti is starting to get a little more experimental in the kitchen with her carbonara variations. She recently added a dish to the menu that might just make pasta purists’ skin crawl – because it adds garlic and calls for gruyere cheese instead of pecorino. Gasp!
Just like her classic carbonara recipe, Barbara Agosti uses wonderful organic eggs in the one below – free-range eggs from the Bio Farm Orto di Arianna Vulpiani. To reproduce it as faithfully as possible, you can order the ‘CarboEggs kit’ on Cosaporto in Rome, even during quarantine! The kit contains the recipe below. But if you aren’t in Rome, don’t worry; the ingredients below work just fine!
Carbonara Recipe by Barbara Agosti
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 lb mezze maniche pasta
7 oz pancetta (or cubed bacon)
3 oz Grana Padano cheese
7 oz pecorino cheese
4 egg yolks
2 egg whites
Black pepper to taste
Method:
Boil water for the pasta, adding only a little salt (or none at all). Cut the pancetta or bacon into fairly even cubes or strips. Brown in a pan without adding oil or any other fats.
In a large bowl, prepare a ‘zabaglione’ with 4 egg yolks, 2 egg whites, the cheese and freshly ground pepper. Mix very well with a whisk, adding the pancetta or bacon with its fat once cooked. Continue to stir vigorously with a whisk.
Once the pasta is cooked al dente, drain and stir it directly into the bowl. Add the pecorino cheese and pepper to taste. Serve warm.