When you say Pasta, what's the first imagine that come to your mind?
Probably it's the PASTA ALLA CARBONARA! SPAGHETTI ALLA CARBONARA! There are many theories about the origins of the "Pasta alla Carbonara" and Italians love to think it's a typical dish from the Lazio region, created by the "carbonari" ( workers preparing and selling the "carbone"-charcoal) who needed to eat something able to give them enough strengh to work. But it's much more probably that Italians should thank the AMERICAN TROUPS occupying Naples in 1944 and who, trying to add something to the poor plate of pasta received, added the bacon, the egg powder and the Milk cream to the Spaghetti. Naples' people tasted it deciding it could have become a great dish and found the way to make it more tasty. From the 1945 the Spaghetti alla Carbonara began to appear in some "Trattorie". Spaghetti, a yolk, some Pecorino Romano cheese, bacon (better if smoked), garlic and pepper is all you need to prepare it! SPAGHETTI ALL'AMATRICIANA Another Masterpiece, now typical from Rome, but not of Roman's origin. This comes from Amatrice, a village in the province of Rieti and it was brought to Rome by the shepherds who were going there to sell sheeps (the original name of this dish was "Gricia"-see below)) Today we use to think the typical dish is the BUCATINI ALL'AMATRICIANA (OR MATRICIANA), that's a different kind of pasta, but truth is the original recipe was with the SPAGHETTI (without TOMATO).
What is sure is that there are 2 basic ingredients you can't miss to prepare it: the Pecorino romano and the GUANCIALE (cheek lard-NOT THE BACON).
Without them you can't say it's Amatriciana! So to prepare the ROMAN Amatriciana sauce what you need is: Olive Oil, Fresh tomatoes, cheek lard, Pecorino romano cheese, White Wine, Chili pepper, salt and black pepper. Nothing more and nothing less! SPAGHETTI CACIO E PEPE & LA GRICIA And here it comes the base of all these dishes. The original, poor Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe (Cheese and Pepper), food of the shepherds from Abruzzo (near to Amatrice), who used to bring with them the Pecorino cheese, the Pepper and the Pasta to survive during the long journeys. And when they could find some cheek lard to add it would become the GRICIA, yes, the base of the original Amatriciana, brought to Rome from Amatrice. Go back to the Blog
6 Comments
7/20/2013 05:38:34 am
Great article on the orgin of these pasta dishes. Being a Nutritionist and food lover, I enjoy these types of articles. Thanks Filomena
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The Italian Bridge
7/20/2013 07:11:01 pm
Thanks to you Filomena!
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Vince Scavo
7/20/2013 06:32:04 am
Being a second generation Italian in Canada I can appreciate the origin of pasta types..... I want to hear more.......
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The Italian Bridge
7/20/2013 07:11:51 pm
Thank you Vince! Stay tuned! More has to come!
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Vincent Caminiti
7/22/2013 06:43:14 pm
Tante Grazie..I own pizzerias and would love to tell people these stories of pasta dish origins, keep them coming!
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L North
7/23/2013 09:12:44 am
Pity, might have thought truth about 'carbonara' was yours, but no evidence offered and disturbed that an illiterate (troups???) was offering this 'information'
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