On the occasion of Carbonara Day 2020, Chef Kotaro Noda tells us all about his lighter version of carbonara. The chef of Bistrot 64 keeps all the traditional ingredients for a classic carbonara, adding a mysterious intruder: vegetable broth!
To lighten this traditional plate of pasta, he prefers to bake the guanciale (salt-cured pork jowl) in the oven for a dish that’s lower in fat.
Ready for the lightest carbonara you’ve ever made?
Carbonara on the Light Side by Chef Kotaro Noda
Ingredients (for 4 people):
1 lb. Spaghetti
4 yolks
5 oz guanciale (or pancetta/bacon)
1 cup Pecorino cheese
1 oz grated Parmigiano Reggiano
pepper to taste.
For the simple vegetable stock: celery, carrot, onion.
Method:
Cut the guanciale into cubes and transfer them to a baking tray. Bake in the oven for an hour at 250°F (120°C) to eliminate the fat. This will create a crunchy glaze without exceeding the bacon’s ‘smoke point.’
Separately, prepare the simple vegetable stock.
Cook the pasta in salted water and, in the meantime, prepare a creamy mixture in a bowl with the egg yolks, pecorino cheese, parmesan cheese and pepper. Mix everything until smooth.
After cooking the pasta al dente, drain it and put it back into the pot adding a ladle of stock; transfer back on the heat for another minute to release the starch from the pasta. Turn off the heat and transfer the pasta into the bowl with the mixture, stirring continuously.
Transfer everything back to the pan, stirring over low heat until slightly thickened. Transfer the pasta to soup plates with the baked guanciale on top.