On 2003-10-07, Vince Poroke > wrote:

> 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.

I've made carbonara with average American bacon and with pricey
imported pancetta. I prefer bacon, finding pancetta rather boring.
It's all subjective, folks. Use what you like.

OTOH, I did see an intriguing variation on food tv that would favor
milder pancetta over the more pronounced bacon. Some famous Italian
restaurant showing their renown version of a classic carbonara. After
frying the pancetta in olive oil, a little white wine was added and
quickly reduced. This oil/meat/wine reduction was then added to the
egg mixture and poured over the hot pasta. Add parmesan and pasta
water as required. No butter or cream, thank you. Looks like it
would add a subtle flavor dimension without truly corrupting the
classic recipe. I'll try it next time.

nb