Spaghetti With Sausage Alla Carbonara

Recipe from Centolire

Adapted by Florence Fabricant

Published November 23, 2010

  • Craig Lee for The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
5(1,045)
Comments
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A few days after a tasting of 2005 Barbarescos, I had dinner at Centolire, Pino Luongo’s Italian restaurant on the Upper East Side. As I cruised the wine list, Mr. Luongo suggested a Barbaresco he had just acquired. Perfect timing.The menu offered several dishes that would seem to complement a Barbaresco, including chicken livers on a bed of fennel, a Tuscan pot roast, and spaghetti with sausage. My husband and I tried them all. The intensity of the chicken livers and beef, however, seemed to point more toward Barolo. The pasta, Mr. Luongo’s variation on the classic carbonara, delivered balance and richness.His approach to cooking is a very grandmotherly “some of this, some of that.” He did provide some measurements, but I felt at ease adjusting them to my taste, like reducing the amount of pepper and increasing the cheese. —Florence Fabricant

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

FOR THE SPAGHETTI WITH SAUSAGE ALLA CARBONARA

  • 1 pound sweet Italian sausage

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

  • 1 medium onion, sliced thin

  • 1 ½ teaspoons pepper

  • 2 bay leaves

  • ½ cup dry white wine

  • Salt

  • 1 pound spaghetti

  • 3 large eggs

  • ¼ cup pecorino Romano

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

60 grams carbs; 126 milligrams cholesterol; 509 calories; 6 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 16 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 551 milligrams sodium; 27 grams protein; 3 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. FOR THE SPAGHETTI WITH SAUSAGE ALLA CARBONARA

    1. Step 1

      Remove casings from sausage. Using a knife, a fork or your hands on a cutting board, break meat into small pieces. Heat oil and butter in a large skillet. Add onion and cook on medium-low just until translucent.

    2. Step 2

      Add sausage, mashing and breaking it up with a wooden spoon until it is uniformly crumbly and has lost its pinkness. Stir in the pepper and bay leaves. Add wine and cook until it has nearly evaporated, about 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and discard bay leaves. Season meat to taste with salt.

    3. Step 3

      Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti until al dente, 6 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, fill a large serving bowl with hot water or warm it in a low oven. Lightly beat the eggs in a small dish. Just before pasta is done, return pan with sausage to low heat. When pasta is done, slowly beat about a tablespoon of pasta water into eggs. Then drain the pasta.

    4. Step 4

      Transfer sausage to warm serving bowl. Pour spaghetti on top and toss it with the sausage, slowly adding the beaten eggs. Add salt to taste and fold in the pecorino.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,045 user ratings
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Comments

Paula

I halved the recipe so that the two of us wouldn't leave leftovers. I only used one egg and that worked out OK. Delicious.

Jim

What is the "large serving bowl with hot water" for? I read the recipe several times and don't see what that's for. Do you lightly beat the eggs over the warm water?

Dan

I made this with buccatini (spaghetti-like tubes). We all liked it. I'll add a bit more pasta water next time.

Jenny Cozens, UK

I used to make this with a small group of Italian friends at a house in the hills above Fabriano where I was teaching English in the sixties. We used a hard Italian sausage and two eggs and lots of pepper. I was told that the charcoal-burners (carbonari) kept a chicken with them up in the hills, and a hard sausage. I've been told recently that the recipe was made up but there was no hint of that back then and I don't believe it. It seems a very sensible minimal dish for carbonari.

Trevor

I added zucchini and baby tomatoes with the sausage. Outstanding the next day as well.

John Carlsburg

What am I supposed to do with this onion I sliced?

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Credits

Adapted from Centolire, Manhattan

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