A heartwarming carbonara is a dish loved by Brits far and wide across the UK and is seen by many as the ultimate example of Italian comfort food as a result.
After all, the combination of salty, piggy chunks of cured pork, a silky smooth egg and cheese sauce, garlic and enough black pepper to make your eyes water is a difficult proposition to turn down.
The very composition of this satisfying but easy-to-execute dish may come as a shock to home cooks though – after an official recipe from Italy’s Academy of Cuisine revealed the commonly misused ingredient that should not be included in an authentic version of the classic meal.
According to the recipe on the body’s website, a carbonara is only really considered to be Italian if guanciale – cured pig’s cheek – is used.
While it is not as readily available in shops and supermarkets across the UK as ham, bacon and pancetta, guanciale is used by Italians for its higher fat content to boost flavour in the finished dish.
Another non-negotiable for the recipe is the use of pecorino cheese instead of other hard cheeses such as parmesan or Grana Padano, owing to its higher salt content from being made with sheep’s milk.
As for the method when it comes to making the carbonara itself, advice on the website reads: ‘Cut the guanciale into half-centimetre thick strips. Place the guanciale in a pan with the olive oil, the crushed garlic and brown it until just right.
Once you have removed the pan and the garlic off the heat, beat the eggs in a bowl with a pinch of salt and the grated pecorino cheese.
Then, bring plenty of salted water to the boil in a large pot, lower the spaghetti and cook until the pasta is al dente.
Once the pasta is ready, pour it into the pan with the guanciale, add the beaten egg and grated pecorino cheese mixture – resisting any evil impulse inside your head to add cream – and mix all the ingredients well.
Finally, to serve, sprinkle the dish with plenty of freshly ground black pepper – it does not translate as ‘coal burner’ into English for nothing.
The recipe from the Italian Academy of Cuisine will come as a welcome to carbonara fans who were previously angered by Gordon Ramsay putting peas in his version of the dish.
The TV chef, 57, added the quintessentially British vegetable into his version, much to the chagrin of diners.
The extra ingredient of peas left Italians and carbonara fans fuming, with some begging Gordon to never cook pasta again.
The £15 dish is being served at his Gordon Ramsay Street Pizza restaurants across the UK.
Italian Juline Marconi fumed: ‘For fudge sake. Guanciale, egg and pecorino, it’s not that hard.’
Fellow compatriot Sandro Luc added: ‘I love Gordon but this is not carbonara.’ Amedeo Emmolo said: ‘Please, delete this and never cook pasta again.’
Briton Chris Bane said: ‘That’s not a carbonara on any level.’ Connor Musson said: ‘What is this abomination of Italian food. For shame Gordon.’
Another person joked: ‘I’m not even Italian and I’m offended.’ While someone else added: ‘People have to pay for that?’
Another said: ‘RIP carbonara.’ Meanwhile someone else quipped: ‘Gordon is not scared of Italians.’