By
Diego Cortés
Sobrasada pasta is the Balearic take on Roman carbonara: instead of guanciale, sobrasada de Mallorca (a raw cured pork sausage with paprika) melts in the pan and brings the fat, the red colour and the aroma of pork jowl. The sauce turns creamy with no cream at all, just egg yolks, aged cheese and pasta water.
It comes together in 25 minutes (10 of prep and 15 of cooking) and serves 2 generous portions: a weeknight pasta with more punch than authentic Roman carbonara, and a quick dinner for two with a salad on the side. Sobrasada already carries salt and paprika, so the cheese is dialled back and the pepper is ground at the end.
To compare techniques, try the spaghetti with carbonara-style sauce or the carbonara pasta with corn and bacon; the classic guanciale version is in the authentic carbonara spaghetti and the carbonara spaghetti.
Prep
10 min
Cook
15 min
Servings
2
Calories
860 kcal
Take the sobrasada out of the fridge 20 minutes ahead and cut it into small pieces: cold, it will not melt and stays lumpy.
Bring the 2 litres of water and coarse salt to the boil in a wide pot; use less water only if you want a more concentrated starch.
Grate the cheese and whisk the yolks in a bowl with the cheese, black pepper and 2 tablespoons of cold water until you have a thick cream.
Heat a large pan over medium-low with the oil only if needed and melt the sobrasada for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring: paprika turns bitter if it browns too much.
Cook the pasta in the boiling water 1 minute less than the packet says, so it finishes cooking in the pan.
Before draining, scoop out a cup of the pasta water; then drain the pasta without rinsing, because the starch on the surface is what binds the sauce.
Take the pan off the heat, tip the pasta over the sobrasada and toss so it picks up the red fat.
Add the yolk cream and 3 tablespoons of the reserved water and toss hard with tongs or a spoon for 1 minute, until the sauce coats the pasta and shines.
Adjust the texture with more pasta water, a spoonful at a time; if it looks runny, put it back over the lowest heat for 30 seconds, stirring non-stop.
For the pangrattato, toast the breadcrumbs with the crushed garlic and a drizzle of oil for 3 minutes until golden, then remove the garlic.
Let the pasta rest off the heat for 1 minute, serve with the pangrattato, extra Parmesan and freshly ground pepper.
This recipe has a medium difficulty level, which means it's accessible for cooks of all levels.
The preparation time is 10 minutes and the cooking time is 15 minutes.
This recipe is designed for 2 servings.
Yes, many ingredients can be substituted with similar alternatives. We recommend checking the recipe variations.
Store the preparation in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Some preparations can be frozen for up to 3 months.
