M. Canales

Updated Saturday, April 6, 2024-00:10

On Saturday, April 6,

World Carbonara Day is celebrated,

one of the pasta dishes par excellence of Italian gastronomy, and also one of the most controversial due to its preparation. The purists do not give up on its five, and only, ingredients: egg yolk,

guanciale

(cured pork jowl), pecorino Romano cheese, black pepper and spaghetti, while there are others who dare with all kinds of versions of this recipe of uncertain origin, although everything indicates that it was invented in Rome during World War II.

But, if there is one thing that everyone agrees on when making this unctuous pasta dish, it is that

the cream should not be touched

. For the undisputed lovers of this symbol of

Italian cuisine in general and Roman cuisine in particular, we propose six must-visit places to enjoy it.

noi

Recoletos 6. Tel. 91 069 40 07. www.restaurantenoi.com

Gianni Pinto, the chef of this Italian haute cuisine restaurant, is one of those who dares to

reinterpret the original recipe

and proposes an innovative version of carbonara made with 24-month Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese water, juice of meat and egg yolk, one of its main ingredients, but this time marinated. The dish, called

Carbonara?

and inspired by traditional ingredients, it will not be on the menu, but will be part of the restaurant's

tasting menu

starting April 6. "I have adapted it to new times and tastes, mixing and creating," says the chef, who affirms that in his recipe the flavors mix in the mouth and reach the palate in a more delicate, sweet way, and where the different textures , the al dente Garofalo No. 9 spaghetti, the water of Pecorino and Parmigiano Reggiano and the softness of the meat juice mix with the crunch of the pancetta, softer than the guanciale, and the zest of marinated yolk.

TOTO

Paseo de la Castellana, 36. Tel. 910 05 38 84. www.totorestaurants.com

The star dish of this Italian restaurant is precisely its

Vera carbonara

, that is, its "real" carbonara, which about 250 diners order to eat every week. Made with traditionally cured guanciale from Lazio i Umbria and authentic Roman Pecorino, during the month of April it can be enjoyed in its classic short pasta version, with

mezze maniche

, and, for the first time, also in its long pasta version with

spaghettone

. Price: 22 euros.

Bel Mondo

Velázquez, 39. Tel. 911 67 94 08. www.bigmammagroup.com

The always fun restaurant of the Big Mamma group has its star dish in the famous

Carbomamma

, with its original presentation inside a wheel of Pecorino cheese (for one person it is served directly on the plate). The recipe is the original with ingredients brought directly from Italy. Guanciale comes from Tuscany, from the Triglia family. Working hand in hand with the supplier, they achieved the perfect maturation of this product, in order to regulate the touch of salt. The Pecorino, from Sardinia, where the wheels are matured for two months, and the Parmigiano Reggiano, from Parma, from the caseificcio Gennari with which Big Mamma has worked since its inception in 2015. Price: 17 euros.

This same Carbomamma dish is served in the other three restaurants that the group has in Madrid:

Villa Capri

(Hortaleza, 118) and

Circolo Popolare

(Plaza Pablo Ruiz Picasso, 1).

Don Giovanni

Paseo de la Reina Cristina, 23, posterior, Tel. 914 348 338. www.dongiovanni.es

Chef Andrea Tumbarello's trattoria, with two Repsol soles, is ideal for enjoying authentic Italian cuisine and, also, of course, his pasta carbonara dish, which there is called

Spaghetti alla carbonara l'originale.

The recipe is the same as ever, although it adds a personal touch: it mixes the Parmigiano Reggiano and the Pecorino so that it is not so salty (the original preparation only uses Pecorino). Price: 17.40 euros.

TO THE SEVENTH HEAVEN

Apodaca, 3. Tel. 912 27 56 86. www.alsettimocielo.es

Traditional Italian cuisine combined with refined techniques and some creative touch is presented in this restaurant in Malasaña. They specialize in pastas and Roman pinsas (light, crispy dough and oval shape), but the star dish of the house is

carbonara

, cooked in the traditional style, with guanciale, egg, pecorino cheese and short Garganelli pasta. Price: 14.80 euros.

Fabio's Bacaro

Pl. de la Paja, 2. Tel. 910 39 04 57.www. elbacarodefabio.es

Classic spaghetti carbonara dish from El Bacaro restaurant.

The Venetian chef Fabio Gasparini (former computer scientist) runs this restaurant with homemade and traditional cuisine (he has another location in Pozuelo de Alarcón) that boasts of having

one of the best carbonaras in Madrid

. They are spaghetti, to which the traditional sauce with guanciale, egg yolks, Pecorino cheese, and pepper is added. Price: 16.50 euros.