Planning the perfect date night might be easier than you think, with one Melbourne chef proving restaurant-quality meals can be made at home without complicated techniques.
Chef and cookbook author Johnny Moroney joined The Morning Show on Thursday to share his silky spaghetti carbonara from his new cookbook Date Night Cooking, which is packed with approachable recipes designed to help couples slow down, cook together and create memorable meals.
Moroney, who has built a following of more than 153,000 food lovers online, demonstrated his signature double-boiler method for carbonara, revealing how a handful of simple ingredients can be transformed into a rich, creamy Italian classic.
Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today
Ingredients
Serves: 2
200 g spaghetti
150 g guanciale, rind removed, diced into 1 cm long cigar shapes
4 egg yolks
50 g pecorino romano, finely grated
2 g freshly cracked black pepper
Method
1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Drop the spaghetti and cook until just shy of al dente.
2. Place the guanciale into a cold pan. Bring the heat up slowly so the fat renders gently and the pork crisps without burning.
3. Once golden and crisp, remove the pieces and set aside. Keep the rendered fat warm.
4. In a stainless steel mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, pecorino romano, and cracked pepper until smooth.
5. Set the bowl over the pot of boiling pasta water to create indirect heat. Use a wooden spoon between the pot and the bowl to prevent overheating. Whisk continuously until the yolks begin to thicken.
6. Add a small splash of pasta water to loosen the mixture, then slowly drizzle in about ¾ of the reserved guanciale fat while whisking to form a glossy, creamy sauce.
7. When the pasta is ready, drain it (reserving some pasta water) and transfer it straight into the sauce bowl. Toss vigorously over the steam to coat, adding more pasta water as needed to keep it silky and loose.
8. Stir in the crispy guanciale pieces. Plate immediately and finish with extra pecorino romano and cracked black pepper.