Do you ever have those days where you think: What are we going to cook for dinner?  You need to go grocery shopping, you didn’t take anything out of the freezer and you really don’t want to make anything that takes too much effort.  Spaghetti alla Carbonara is the perfect dish for such an occasion!

I haven’t made Spaghetti alla Carbonara in a long time but a few weeks ago I was visiting Chef Chuck and noticed the great new videos on his blog.  I watched him cook a Carbonara and told myself I had to make it again soon, so last night – I did.  It’s a great tasting, easy to cook recipe that the whole family will love!

Here’s what you need (serves 2):

• 1/2 pound of spaghetti (I like Spaghetti #12 because it’s a bit thicker)
• 1 onion
• 1-2 cloves of garlic
• diced sopressata, bacon or pancetta
• 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup of grated parmigiano or romano cheese
• salt and pepper

Here’s what you need to do:

• Add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to a large saucepan and simmer your onions, garlic and sopressata for 10-15 minutes over low heat until your onions are caramelized.
• Beat your egg and grated parmigiano cheese together in a bowl and set it aside.
• Cook your spaghetti separately and then add it to the saucepan with your onions, garlic and sopressata.
• Pour the egg and parmigiano over your spaghetti and mix it all together. The hot spaghetti will cook the egg as you mix it all together.  If it’s too thick you can add a splash of pasta water (the water you cooked the past in.)
• Add salt and pepper to taste… remember that the sopressata (bacon or pancetta) is already pretty salty, so you probably won’t need to add much salt.

Pretty simple right?  Make sure to visit Chef Chuck and see him cook it on video.

Oh, did I mention that the Sopressata is ready?? We won first prize AGAIN! Do you want to try it? I’m giving one away so this is what you have to do to participate.  Comment on this post by Friday at 5pm EST and retweet this post by clicking on the retweet button in the upper right hand corner (you’re not on twitter?!!? Get it together! you’ll need to sing-up now won’t you?)  I’ll choose a winner at random… for US participants only (sorry but sending meats internationally isn’t easy or cheap!)

PS – Chuck gets a sopressata for the inspiration. Thanks Chef!

It was a full day of making soppressata, salsiccia and capocollo on Saturday.  It was a regular salumificio around here!  Add to that my mamma’s cooking,  a little homemade wine and quattro chiacchiare and it equals a good time! In about a month, we’ll be able to taste the fruits of our labor.

Click here for more details on making Italian cured meats.

I’ve received a lot of emails regarding making homemade soppressata over the last few years.  Some people just want me to hand over the recipe, others ask advice and some just want to chat because they make homemade soppressata too.  I appreciate all the emails… so keep them coming.

Here are a few things I need to clarify about Soppressata:

• Yes, Calabresi make the best Soppressata… listen, Calabresi don’t claim to make the best mozzarella di bufala or the best pizza or the best wine.  CALABRESI MAKE THE BEST SOPPRESSATA.
• Timing is everything… there’s a reason why we make it in the winter months (no flies, less humidity)
• Air pockets in your salumi are NOT good.  Make sure to poke your salumi with a toothpick or similar sized object to get the air out when your making them.  Those nets shown above also help push out any air trapped inside and squeeze the meats as they cure.
• There is no substitute for real casings… if it grosses you out, think about becoming a vegetarian.
• I have never purchased a soppressata that has even come close to a homemade soppressata (my father’s, uncles, other Italians.) Store bought soppressata is over-priced and overall not good.  If you don’t agree, send me one and I’ll do an honest review and hold a blind taste test…. I’ll even put your logo on Italyville for a month if I’m wrong.

On another note: Thanks to everyone who participated in the Olive Oil Shop giveaway.  I picked the winner using a random number generator and the winner is… Liz from Life in la Citta’ De Rosas. Congrats Liz!  For everyone else, there is still time to get 25% off your order at oliveoilshop.com by entering promo code: Italyville during checkout until March 15th so head on over and get some olive oil (make sure it’s Italian!) Keep checking back for more giveaways coming soon on Italyville and don’t forget to follow Italyville on Facebook and Twitter.

I’ve made lots of friends through sopressata… I really have.  My father has been offered money, a friend wants to feature it in a future restaurant he is opening and one of my Irish buddies has somehow gotten “in” and now chips in financially and helps make them in order to get a share… in turn, he has friends that work on his motorcycle in exchange for a sopressata!  It’s comedy but it’s also delicious and one of southern Italy’s culinary delights. (Click here for more details on the process)

My father is a sopressata connoisseur of sorts.  In his own way, he studies the art of making it.  He tries different techniques, tinkers with the process, adds new ingredients/levels of ingredients and over the years it seems to have worked out well as we have managed to take home First Place at the “World Sopressata Championship” for the last 5 years running! (I’m kidding.. there’s no such thing.)

My brother and I have our own opinions on how and how much of course, so they have also been getting more and more “piccante” (spicy hot!) over the years.  This year we have a very controversial NEW process that the professore introduced : dry packing them instead of sotto olio (submerged/preserved in oil) Go figure?!  So far so good… they are ready to eat and the verdict is in: FIRST PRIZE once again!!

If you ever get the chance to experience “the day of the pig” in Italy (mostly southern Italy), I would highly recommend it. It’s not officially called “the day of the pig,” I actually just made that up but many Southern Italian families, my nonni and zii included, will raise a pig each year for one purpose……to make sopressata, salsiccia and capicola. For families that take part in this yearly process it’s like a holiday. Families get together, eat, drink and make their sopressata, capicola and salsiccia for the year. A bit of advice though, the first part, the part between when the pig is alive and then NOT alive… is not for the squeamish, so if you do get to experience this process I would recommend starting after that part.

Here in the States we don’t have the space to raise a pig, not to mention the neighbors may find it a bit odd but it doesn’t stop us from making these Italian specialties each year. Every winter, we carve out a weekend when we’re all available to help because as my dad says with his thick Italian accent… “no work, no eat!” and nobody wants that! This past Saturday, we all went to my parent’s house to make our salumi and all the delicious recipes that go along with it. As usual, we ate too much and had our share of homemade vino but it’s all part of the experience and I wouldn’t want to miss it. My brother and I have really tried to step it up in the last few years knowing full well that if we don’t learn how to make all these traditional Italian foods that we’ve grown up with, we may not be able to enjoy them someday. Here are a few pictures from, “the day of the pig.” I will have more details on the process itself on Italyville.com when it launches….. it’s coming, I promise!!