Spaghetti alla carbonara: it could not be easier!

n our culture of instant gratification it only seems sensible to buy ready-made food, be it soups, mains or even salad dressings. But many dishes are so easy to make and they come out so much fuller of taste and healthier, not to mention the emotional satisfaction. For example, I can't remember last time I bought mayonnaise, which all in all takes just under 5 minutes to fix.

However, this time I will introduce carbonara, which is basically bechamella based on bacon and onions. The chemical explanation of the following process is that the flour makes the roux that will give the sauce its creaminess, while the bacon, onions and pepper will give the taste.

1. Heat medium high a thick-bottomed pan. Add a nice glub of olive oil.
   
2. Fry 125 g smoked bacon (I like it more than guanciale, but feel free to use whatever cured pig meat you want) and 2 chopped onions until golden brown. I use red ones but regular ones or shallots are just as fine. Some people add button mushrooms at this stage, which is supposed to be and Italo-American invention.
3. Add 2 tablespoonfuls of wheat flour with a generous grind of black pepper and fry until it get nicely mixed with the oil. Make sure it gets fried a bit too otherwise the final product will smell doughy.
   
4. If you substitute one tablespoonful of flour with one of corn starch the sauce will come out lighter and fluffier.
5. Reduce the heat and add a glass of single cream and half a glass of white wine.
6. Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes periodically stirring.
7. At the end, the traditional recipe calls for mixing in an egg beaten with a pinch of salt and a wee dram of pecorino but I often skip it.
   

In the meantime, cook your favourite pasta al dente and - ta-da! -serve with your homemade carbonara.

The cherry blossoms on the side of the plate are real. It's spring in Brixton!