A dish that was allegedly invented to feed Pope Pius XII's request for a 'lighter' and more refined version of the traditional Carbonara! Fettuccine alla Papalina has prosciutto, butter, onion and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
Cut the thick prosciutto slices into strips. Finely grate the Parmigiano cheese, if it is not already.
Prepare the Egg Sauce
Combine the egg yolks and whole egg with: the black pepper, finely grated Parmigiano cheese and a pinch of salt. Mix until smooth. Set aside.
4 egg yolks, 1 whole egg, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 pinch fine salt, 3 oz Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Heat the Pasta Water
Bring the water for the pasta to a gentle boil. We need the hot water for the next step. However, fettuccine pasta cooks quickly so don’t start cooking it yet. In the meantime…
Sauté the Onions and Prosciutto
Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the minced onion and a ladle of hot pasta water. Cook the onion over medium heat until translucent and tender.
3 tbsp butter, 1 onion
Then, add the strips of prosciutto to the pan as well and mix them with the onion. In the meantime…
7 oz prosciutto
Cook the Pasta
Cook the fettuccine in lightly salted, boiling water according to package instructions for al dente pasta. Fresh fettuccine cooks in 2-3 minutes.Add less coarse salt to the pasta water than usual because both the Parmigiano Cheese and the prosciutto are quite salty.
14 oz fettuccine pasta
Finish the Pasta
Add a little less than a ladle of hot pasta water to the egg sauce. Drizzle the water in slowly and mix continuously to prevent clumping. The eggs will be liquid-y and smooth.
Add the drained, cooked fettuccine to the skillet and mix to combine. Remove the skillet from the heat and quickly stir in all of the egg sauce.
Serve immediately and buon appetito!
Video
Notes
Salt the Pasta Water Less!Salt the pasta water less than you would normally for cooking Italian pasta. Why? Both prosciutto and Parmigiano cheese are quite salty. Taste the finished pasta and add more salt if needed at that time.Add Egg Sauce off the Heat!Eggs can coagulate quite quickly over a heat source. Carbonara sauces (like this one) should always be added off the heat to avoid making clumpy sauce.