Pasta! It’s What’s for Dinner…
This title makes most Americans think of the American Beef Council’s ad with the music from Aaron Copland’s Rodeo playing in background, accompanied by a strong piece of narration featuring Sam Elliot. But while Italians do enjoy the occasional piece of beef (like the famous inch-thickFiorentina steak) pasta, by in large, is what’s for dinner… and it’s definitely what’s for dinner for Umbra students, some 99% of the time. But wait! This isn’t any old 3AM dorm room pasta, not a CupONoodles or a tiny bag of Ramen- Italian pasta is much more refined, and is made with super-fresh ingredients. Moreover, the recipe at hand has surely been perfected by generations of pasta practitioners dedicated to this complex art. Take this story from Umbra students…
Allison Pengue, Jaci Kramer, Sara Gardner, Sarah Garnitz, and Kelly Hoffmaster, humming the tune from Rodeo (no, just kidding), decided to take a night and shoot for one of Italy’s most famous pasta dishes, “spaghetti alla carbonara”.
Ever heard of it? The origin of the dish, like most Italian culinary traditions, is lodged somewhere between myth and
story goes, pasta “alla carbonara” was originally created to be a super hearty meal for Italian charcoal workers, which makes perfect etymological sense, as “carbonara” means charcoal in Italian. Then again, some say that it’s so named because the specks of pepper and bacon look like pieces of charcoal. Whatever the case, it’s a great tasting recipe, if you know how to make it well! reality. So one
As our aspiring Italian chefs found, the basic ingredients consist of cheese (usually a nice pecorino or parmesan), egg yokes, and pancetta (which is pretty much bacon). First, put some water on the stove to boil.In the interim, fry the pancetta in some olive oil. Mix the egg yokes, the cheese, and some butter or olive oil together. Once the pasta is done, toss in the mixture (the eggs will cook) and add the crispy pancetta… Then, the only thing left to do is enjoy!