Pasta Carbonara

11/15/09 - I know it is only pasta, white sauce, pepper and bacon, but I still had never had it before and I figure I should have a post about something I like by now, so it looks like I'm making some progress. Anything with bacon is good (even scallops) so this was an easy food to try, especially when the bacon is real, thick, and in plenty. Oh, there was also freshly grated real parmesan to top it with, so I had no hesitation to try this.

As much as I enjoyed the bacon, I also enjoyed the white sauce. The creamy, garlickiness was a delight. I have gone from fear, to trying it and finding it not bad, to be able to now say definitively, "White sauce: I like it!" Pasta Carbonara is good to eat!

Not only have I learned of another food I like, but, when it was served,  I also heard a story about how it got its name. The pasta part is pretty obvious, but why carbonara? Pasta carbonara is topped with freshly ground pepper, but in Italy, where it originates, it isn't just topped with pepper, but literally covered in pepper. So much so that it looks black, like charcoal, or carbon. I don't know how well I'd do with that much pepper, but I definitely like the North American version.

VERDICT: Make

photo borrowed from http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1052/ultimate-spaghetti-carbonara