I'm almost afraid to ask this, but has anyone substituted bacon bits
in place of frying bacon when making Spaghetti Carbonara?

If so, how did it taste?
Mark Anthony Ferrante

Ferrante wrote:
I'm almost afraid to ask this, but has anyone substituted bacon bits
in place of frying bacon when making Spaghetti Carbonara?

If so, how did it taste?
Mark Anthony Ferrante

I haven't, but if you use "real" bacon bits (rather than soy substitute like
Bac-O's) that might work. The real ones work on top of baked potatoes,
that's the only way I've tried them.

Jill

jmcquown wrote:
Ferrante wrote:
I'm almost afraid to ask this, but has anyone substituted bacon bits
in place of frying bacon when making Spaghetti Carbonara?

If so, how did it taste?
Mark Anthony Ferrante

I haven't, but if you use "real" bacon bits (rather than soy substitute like
Bac-O's) that might work. The real ones work on top of baked potatoes,
that's the only way I've tried them.

I've had expensive restaurants send out carbonara with no
meat on them at all, so bacon bits would have been welcome.

I'd say it's as okay as using bacon instead of Pancetta.

--Blair
"This is an artificially-flavored
Usenet posting."

In article , Ferrante
wrote:

I'm almost afraid to ask this, but has anyone substituted bacon bits
in place of frying bacon when making Spaghetti Carbonara?

If so, how did it taste?
Mark Anthony Ferrante

Store-bought "real" bacon bits seemed to be saltier than most
store-bought bacon fried and crumbled. Check your batch and watch your
portions and it should work.

Ferrante wrote:

I'm almost afraid to ask this, but has anyone substituted bacon bits
in place of frying bacon when making Spaghetti Carbonara?

I'm trying to picture a scenario where this would be desirable.
What's the problem with just cooking up some bacon? I hate bacon
bits, so I'm prejudiced. When I say what's the problem, I don't
mean it in a snotty way, I can only assume there's some reason you
can't or don't want to.

nancy

"Ferrante" wrote in message
news
I'm almost afraid to ask this, but has anyone substituted bacon bits
in place of frying bacon when making Spaghetti Carbonara?

If so, how did it taste?
Mark Anthony Ferrante

Just to be clear the original recipe has the following:

Pancetta not bacon
cooked spaghetti
eggs
cheese
Pasta water.

Because the pancetta is cured and not smoked the dish has a very particular
flavor.

[pan-CHEH-tuh]
An Italian bacon that is cured with salt and spices but not smoked.
Flavorful, slightly salty pancetta comes in a sausagelike roll. It's used in
Italian cooking to flavor sauces, pasta dishes, FORCEMEATS, vegetables and
meats. Pancetta can be tightly wrapped and refrigerated for up to 3 weeks,
or frozen up to 6 months.

IMHO substituting bacon is not recommendable even if it be artificial bacon.

Dimitri

"Dimitri" wrote in message . com...
"Ferrante" wrote in message
news
I'm almost afraid to ask this, but has anyone substituted bacon bits
in place of frying bacon when making Spaghetti Carbonara?

If so, how did it taste?
Mark Anthony Ferrante

Just to be clear the original recipe has the following:

Pancetta not bacon
cooked spaghetti
eggs
cheese
Pasta water.

Because the pancetta is cured and not smoked the dish has a very particular
flavor.

[pan-CHEH-tuh]
An Italian bacon that is cured with salt and spices but not smoked.
Flavorful, slightly salty pancetta comes in a sausagelike roll. It's used in
Italian cooking to flavor sauces, pasta dishes, FORCEMEATS, vegetables and
meats. Pancetta can be tightly wrapped and refrigerated for up to 3 weeks,
or frozen up to 6 months.

IMHO substituting bacon is not recommendable even if it be artificial bacon.

Dimitri

Mario Batali, whom is very well respected for his knowledge and
appreciation of traditional Italian cuisine, once said on his show
that bacon is a fine substitute for panchetta and he went on to say
that the curing of bacon in America is superior to that of Italy. We
shouldn't be so enamored with the ingredients when it is the process
not the ingredients that is important in any cooking.

Vince Poroke wrote:

"Dimitri" wrote in message . com...

"Ferrante" wrote in message
news
I'm almost afraid to ask this, but has anyone substituted bacon bits
in place of frying bacon when making Spaghetti Carbonara?

If so, how did it taste?
Mark Anthony Ferrante

Just to be clear the original recipe has the following:

Pancetta not bacon
cooked spaghetti
eggs
cheese
Pasta water.

Because the pancetta is cured and not smoked the dish has a very particular
flavor.

[pan-CHEH-tuh]
An Italian bacon that is cured with salt and spices but not smoked.
Flavorful, slightly salty pancetta comes in a sausagelike roll. It's used in
Italian cooking to flavor sauces, pasta dishes, FORCEMEATS, vegetables and
meats. Pancetta can be tightly wrapped and refrigerated for up to 3 weeks,
or frozen up to 6 months.

IMHO substituting bacon is not recommendable even if it be artificial bacon.

Dimitri


Mario Batali, whom is very well respected for his knowledge and
appreciation of traditional Italian cuisine, once said on his show
that bacon is a fine substitute for panchetta and he went on to say
that the curing of bacon in America is superior to that of Italy. We
shouldn't be so enamored with the ingredients when it is the process
not the ingredients that is important in any cooking.

But, Dimitri was not speaking of curing. He was mentioning that pancetta
is NOT smoked, as is much of U.S. bacon. It does make a difference.
--
Alan

"If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion, and
avoid the people, you might better stay home."
--James Michener

Dimitri wrote:

"Ferrante" wrote in message
news
I'm almost afraid to ask this, but has anyone substituted bacon bits
in place of frying bacon when making Spaghetti Carbonara?

If so, how did it taste?
Mark Anthony Ferrante


Just to be clear the original recipe has the following:

Pancetta not bacon
cooked spaghetti
eggs
cheese
Pasta water.

Because the pancetta is cured and not smoked the dish has a very particular
flavor.

[pan-CHEH-tuh]
An Italian bacon that is cured with salt and spices but not smoked.
Flavorful, slightly salty pancetta comes in a sausagelike roll. It's used in
Italian cooking to flavor sauces, pasta dishes, FORCEMEATS, vegetables and
meats. Pancetta can be tightly wrapped and refrigerated for up to 3 weeks,
or frozen up to 6 months.

IMHO substituting bacon is not recommendable even if it be artificial bacon.

Dimitri




Gee, maybe we can start a war, like fetuccine alfredo.

--
Alan

"If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion, and
avoid the people, you might better stay home."
--James Michener

On Mon, 06 Oct 2003 21:22:35 GMT, "Dimitri"
wrote:


Just to be clear the original recipe has the following:

Pancetta not bacon

Those of us who don't like pancetta can substitute bacon...
we think the taste isn't the same, it's better.

"alzelt" wrote in message
...


Dimitri wrote:

"Ferrante" wrote in message
news
I'm almost afraid to ask this, but has anyone substituted bacon bits
in place of frying bacon when making Spaghetti Carbonara?

If so, how did it taste?
Mark Anthony Ferrante


Just to be clear the original recipe has the following:

Pancetta not bacon
cooked spaghetti
eggs
cheese
Pasta water.

Because the pancetta is cured and not smoked the dish has a very
particular
flavor.

[pan-CHEH-tuh]
An Italian bacon that is cured with salt and spices but not smoked.
Flavorful, slightly salty pancetta comes in a sausagelike roll. It's
used in
Italian cooking to flavor sauces, pasta dishes, FORCEMEATS, vegetables
and
meats. Pancetta can be tightly wrapped and refrigerated for up to 3
weeks,
or frozen up to 6 months.

IMHO substituting bacon is not recommendable even if it be artificial
bacon.

Dimitri




Gee, maybe we can start a war, like fetuccine alfredo.

--
Alan

:-)

lol

Dimitri

"sf" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 06 Oct 2003 21:22:35 GMT, "Dimitri"
wrote:


Just to be clear the original recipe has the following:

Pancetta not bacon

Those of us who don't like pancetta can substitute bacon...
we think the taste isn't the same, it's better.

Then call it smoked carbonara or bacon carbonara.

That is like saying, I like Asian pears better that apples so I'm going to
make an apple pie using Asian pears but I'll continue to call it an apple
pie.

Carbonara is made with Pancetta not bacon, not ham, not sausage, not
molinari, not Genoa, it's made with Pancetta. For goodness sake make it with
salmon jerky if you like but call it something else.


Dimitri.

"Dimitri" wrote in message
. com...

"sf" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 06 Oct 2003 21:22:35 GMT, "Dimitri"
wrote:


Just to be clear the original recipe has the following:

Pancetta not bacon

Those of us who don't like pancetta can substitute bacon...
we think the taste isn't the same, it's better.

Then call it smoked carbonara or bacon carbonara.

That is like saying, I like Asian pears better that apples so I'm going to
make an apple pie using Asian pears but I'll continue to call it an apple
pie.

Carbonara is made with Pancetta not bacon, not ham, not sausage, not
molinari, not Genoa, it's made with Pancetta. For goodness sake make it
with
salmon jerky if you like but call it something else.



Unfortunately for your claims, Dmitri, carbonara sauce is properly and
traditionally made with smoked American style bacon. In fact it has been
suggested that the sauce originated in WW2 when American soldiers would take
bacon to local women and ask them to make a sauce with it. In Italy it is
usually made with smoked bacon but in Rome the bacon is sometimes replaced
with pork jowl. The use of pancetta is a substitute for the pork jowl.

This information comes from Marcella Hazan's cookbook.


--
Peter Aitken

Remove the crap from my email address before using.

"Peter Aitken" wrote in message
...
"Dimitri" wrote in message
. com...

"sf" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 06 Oct 2003 21:22:35 GMT, "Dimitri"
wrote:


Just to be clear the original recipe has the following:

Pancetta not bacon

Those of us who don't like pancetta can substitute bacon...
we think the taste isn't the same, it's better.

Then call it smoked carbonara or bacon carbonara.

That is like saying, I like Asian pears better that apples so I'm going
to
make an apple pie using Asian pears but I'll continue to call it an
apple
pie.

Carbonara is made with Pancetta not bacon, not ham, not sausage, not
molinari, not Genoa, it's made with Pancetta. For goodness sake make it
with
salmon jerky if you like but call it something else.



Unfortunately for your claims, Dmitri, carbonara sauce is properly and
traditionally made with smoked American style bacon. In fact it has been
suggested that the sauce originated in WW2 when American soldiers would
take
bacon to local women and ask them to make a sauce with it. In Italy it is
usually made with smoked bacon but in Rome the bacon is sometimes replaced
with pork jowl. The use of pancetta is a substitute for the pork jowl.

This information comes from Marcella Hazan's cookbook.


--
Peter Aitken

Remove the crap from my email address before using.

"Peter Aitken" wrote in message
...


Unfortunately for your claims, Dmitri, carbonara sauce is properly and
traditionally made with smoked American style bacon. In fact it has been
suggested that the sauce originated in WW2 when American soldiers would
take
bacon to local women and ask them to make a sauce with it. In Italy it is
usually made with smoked bacon but in Rome the bacon is sometimes replaced
with pork jowl. The use of pancetta is a substitute for the pork jowl.

This information comes from Marcella Hazan's cookbook.


--
Peter Aitken

Actually the legend of the origin of Carbonara and it's origin come from the
"charcoal makers" el carbonari (I believe) who were looking to easily
transportable food for their trek into the mountains to make the charcoal.
Dry Pasta, Pancetta and cheese need no refrigeration and eggs can be readily
found along the way. The sauce did not originate in WW II - that is a myth;

See : http://www.theartisan.net/FauxPas_Frameset.htm

click on carbonara.