One of the most famous pasta dishes in the world, the traditional Roman carbonara is made of only 5 ingredients: guanciale, pecorino romano, eggs, pepper and spaghetti!
Guanciale, the star ingredient of the dish, is pork cheek rubbed with salt and spices (typically ground black or red pepper, thyme or fennel, and sometimes garlic) and cured for three weeks or until it loses approximately 30% of its original weight. Its flavor is stronger than other pork products, such as pancetta, and its texture is more delicate. Upon cooking, the fat typically melts away, giving great depth of flavor to carbonara and other dishes it’s used in!
Where to Find Guanciale
Guanciale is hard to find in the United States, so Americans usually use pancetta or bacon to create the dish. Good news is that Terra Foods has partnered with NIAF to offer fresh guanciale straight you!
As a friend of NIAF’s, use code NIAF52021 to get 10% off and if you spend $100+ on your order, Terra Foods will also send a free item! Order fresh Italian groceries today: http://www.terrafoodstore.com.
P.S. Don’t forget to try this carbonara recipe too!
Benvenuti to the NIAF Pensieri Blog 