In Alsace, we don’t use classic spaghetti in carbo evenings. We much prefer the generosity of this local pasta…
If you ask an Italian which are the best pasta to prepare a carbonara, he will most certainly answer you this: dry pasta, made from durum wheat flour, capable of clinging to the sauce. Which, in subtext, amounts to excluding convoluted forms (exit the frills of the gigli!) in favor of the more sober ones. The grooved ones, like rigatoni or penne rigate, or the long ones, like the unmistakable spaghetti or linguine, are among those that are best suited to exercise.
But the Frenchman, known to be a chauvinist at heart, willingly transgresses the injunctions of his transalpine neighbors when it comes to highlighting the products of his region. In this logic, it is therefore not uncommon for Alsatian homes to prepare carbo… with spätzle. Composed of flour, eggs, water and salt, these irregular and plump doughs, both tender and soft, resemble a sparrow’s nest once cooked and thrown on the plate, hence their name, itself a diminutive of Spatzen which literally means “sparrows”. Extremely versatile, they go wonderfully with dishes in sauce, like simmered meats, and also like to brown in the oven (with Munster cheese, for example).
Commercially, spätzle is sold dry. They are then cooked in a large volume of boiling or cool water, ready to “sear”. Then simply brown them over high heat in a knob of butter for a few minutes, stirring regularly, until they are nicely browned. You will then just have to combine them with your favorite carb sauce.
100% French version, with caramelized onions, browned bacon and a touch of crème fraîche, even if it means attracting the wrath of the Italians once and for all (a little more, a little less…). Or traditional version, accompanied by guanciale and egg yolks beaten with grated Pecorino Romano, if you prefer to fall discreetly into line. The more comforting of the two? It’s up to you to get your hands dirty to find out…
