Fettuccine alla Papalina
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Country of Origin: Vatican City
Description
Created for Pope Pius XII: a refined papal variation of Carbonara replacing guanciale with delicate prosciutto, adding sautéed butter onions and cream.
Presentation & How It's Eaten
Served piping hot in warm pasta bowls topped with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Ingredients
1 lb fresh egg fettuccine
5 oz prosciutto crudo (or cooked ham), diced
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
Salt and black pepper
Step-by-Step Directions
Boil Pasta: Cook fresh fettuccine in salted boiling water for 2–3 minutes until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
Sauté Aromatics: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in diced prosciutto for 2 minutes.
Mix Custard Base: Whisk egg yolks, heavy cream, and grated Parmigiano cheese in a bowl until smooth.
Toss Pasta: Add hot drained fettuccine into skillet with prosciutto and butter off heat.
Emulsify Sauce: Pour egg-cream mix over hot pasta, tossing rapidly with splashes of reserved pasta water until a creamy sauce coats noodles. Season with black pepper and serve.
Optional
Peas: Add 1/2 cup sweet green peas during onion sauté step.
Cooking Tips
Off Heat Toss: Mix sauce off the burner to allow residual pasta heat to thicken egg yolks without scrambling them.
Nutrition Facts
(Estimated per serving, based on 4 servings)
Calories: ~560 kcal
Total Fat: 28g
Saturated Fat: 15g
Cholesterol: 220mg
Sodium: 780mg
Total Carbohydrates: 54g
Dietary Fiber: 2g
Sugars: 3g
Protein: 22g
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