It’s official. My eating odyssey in Italy has come to an end. I may be am slightly depressed. I am going through Italy withdrawals. I miss my mother-in-law. Sniffle.
Here is Nonna Antonia (my hubby’s grandmother) trying not to obviously pose fo rme. She’s a fighter and was waiting to see us with her huge hugs and lots of baci.
I think I did gain the 5 kilos they thought I was missing. I miss the 3 course meals and then fruit and immediately after dessert.
Teresa’s house is full of food surprises. She has a cantina and a work room where she makes all her salame, pancetta, capicolla, and other cured meats when the months are cooler. She has a professional slicer from the brand Lario. Fabrizio told me it’s a really good brand and slices even better than the one he has at the restaurant. She also makes cheese in this room.
This is the pancetta they used in this recipe. That is her salame piccante on the right. A spicy salame that is hard to eat just one slice of. Before every meal there was fresh bread at the table and serving plates with her homemade charcuterie. Teresa needs to sell her meats. They are the most delicious meats I have ever eaten. It’s a shame it was not the right season for her to show me how to cure the meats. She does it in the cooler months.
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Fabrizio had fun cooking with his mom these days. They both are fast movers and are bursting with talent. They kindly let me intrude to take some photos. They also put me to work on some occasions.
Fabrizio had fun cooking with his mom these days. They both are fast movers and are bursting with talent. They kindly let me intrude to take some photos. They also put me to work on some occasions.
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Pasticcini that my adorable friend Megan from Rimini and her fiance’ Giacomo brought over that day to visit us. The chocolate one with pistachios on top was my favorite!!
Megan and Giacomo. Aren’t they a gorgeous couple?
Megan and Giacomo. Aren’t they a gorgeous couple?
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Cook this pasta dish for a date and your date may fall in love with you. You may even get a marriage proposal.
Spaghetti alla Carbonara
3 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces thickly sliced pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 pound spaghetti
5 large egg yolks, well beaten
4 tablespoons milk
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (or Pecorino Romano)
1/2 cup of boiling pasta water
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until it ripples. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring often, until crisp. Set the pan aside. Beat the eggs with the milk and set aside.
Boil water in a a large pot and add the salt. When the water comes to a boil, add the spaghetti. Stir frequently and cook until it is al dente. Drain, reserving the 1/2 cup of pasta water.
Add the reserved pasta water to the pan with the pancetta, then toss in the pasta. Shake the pan over the heat a few times to combine the pasta with the pancetta. Then add the add the Parmigiano and the eggs yolks. Add pepper to taste and stir until thoroughly mixed.
Sprinkle generously with pepper and serve at once. If you can’t get enough of cheese, sprinkle some more on!
BUON APPETITO!
Cake Duchess is where you can follow the baking adventures of me! Hi! I'm Lora, a mom of two cuties in South Florida. I got into all this baking mess because of them. 
{ 43 comments… read them below or add one }
that looks amazing
and those desserts look might tasty! haha! great recipe!
This is such a wonderful post, Lora. It sounds as though you had some amazing moments with your husband’s family – his grandmother sounds like a character! Spaghetti carbonara is such a great comfort dish and you are making me crave a bowl of it right now.
Welcome home! WHat a wonderful wonderful trip! You are makingmemissItaly – and I’ve never even been there! lol
A proposal worthy recipe!?! If you didn’t know I have a page on my blog titled “I Do Eats” so I need to try this. This is a pasta dish I order out but have never tried to make myself. Yummy!
You have me dreaming of Italy. I am glad you had a wonderful time. I am sure you still look beautiful even with those kilos you gained. I will keep posted to see your beautiful mangoes and the desserts you come up with.
Happy Friday
I am sorry that your vacation is over, but am so glad you shared this amazing recipe! I’ll be bookmarking it for a special occasion.
So inspiring. You are lucky to have an MIL who can share such lovely recipes and we are lucky that you blog about it so beautifully.Thank you.
Ooooh everything looks amazing. Just another of a million reasons I am going to visit Italy!
So glad I found your blog today
Non hai idea da quanto tempo mi piacerebbe farla… ottima! Un abbraccio e buonissima serata
So rich and creamy – wonderfully authentic photos too! Thank you for this great post!
Welcome back Lora. Such a wonderful post. Looks like all of you had such a wonderful time. You had me dreaming of my upcoming trip. Can’t wait to see my family!!
The spaghetti look amazing, the perfect comfort food!
I LOVE carbonara! Yours looks fab. Sorry your time in Italy is over, I can imagine how tough that is.
Simple and delicious carbonara. Simply delicious! I love watching the Italian travel and cooking shows where they show the town elders expertly make delicious, rustic, local fare. they seem so wise in their ways and their cooking talent and energy never seem to wane. So admirable.
She so reminds me of my grandmother that passed many years ago. She was from Rome Italy, she use to wear tied up boot shoes, dresses only and braided her hair, She passed at 94. I just can never duplicate the taste of her sauce, it was truly amazing. I so envy you, I am sure you feel sad leaving I would too, but this dish is quite a wonderful memory you made together!
This looks delicious! You have me ready to pack for a trip to Italy too
I can see how you will miss this.
Love carbonara! No wonder you miss Italy
)
I love your husband’s mother! She looks so much like my Armenian grandmother did (though she always had hers in a French twist). I wish I could be a fly in that kitchen and watch her swirl around, cooking and making all those glorious foods.
You’ve made my absolute favorite pasta dish, you know. It’s my go-to comfort food above all others. And you make it exactly the same way I do (of course, an Italian taught me).
It may be poor folk food, but it is one of my very favorite of pasta dishes! I love it with toasted walnuts turned into the pasta too.
I have never made this, but I really need too. Looks great
Oh, sounds like you had a wonderful time…I am sure they miss you as well, and thank you for sharing your trip with us
This is a wonderful carbonara and my kids are crazy for pancetta in everything
Have a great weekend…
I love spaghetti alla carbonara. This looks so mouth-watering! and that tray of desserts look gorgeous.
This is my Mom’s all time favorite Italian dish! Sounds like a wonderful trip, so jealous! Can’t wait to try this, looks amazing!
You are so blessed to have such a wonderful family to welcome you so warmly. Sounds like you had such a memorable vacation. I have enjoyed sharing it with you through your gorgeous photos.
wow …look at all the nonas there cooking… I’ll gain that 5 kilos for that anytime
all look amazing! gloria
Thank you for sharing. I hadthe most wonderful Easter dinner with an Italian family about eight years ago…it was like nothing this small town Texas girl had experienced…pasta as an apetizer with a sauce I wonder every day how they made…and struffoli…I love that best.
Oh Lord. Everything just sounds so good from your trip. With all of Nonna’s good eatin, I’d have gained a ton.
Oh my goodness, Nonna Antonia’s homemade salumi looks so delicious and I love the twinkle in her eyes. Nothing better than simple, creamy carbonara, yum! Thanks for sharing some of the food and love from your family visit – I’d be missing it, too.
it looks like you had such a wonderful trip, I’m so happy to hear you got to spend so much time with your family, and that you got to eat so many wonderfull meals! Thank you for posting the carbonara, everyone takes so many liberties with this recipe, to see the classical version as it was meant to me is a joy, I just wish I could have samples a bowl or two!
Welcome home, Lora!!! Oh, my…I think I’d hide in a closet and never come home if I was you. Loved going along on your journey and culinary adventures…what a blessing to be part of this wonderful family!
Next time can I stow away in your suitcase, please. Nonna Antonia is my hero. Sounds like you had a wonderful time, i bet it was hard to leave, not that you don’t have an amazing family here, but it’s great having two huh. Will have to stow this recipe away for use soon. Welcome home.
-Gina-
Le partenze da casa lasciano sempre un po’ di trizezza nel cuore, specie quando si vive così lontano. Ma ripreparare questo piatto sarà come sentirsi più vicini ogni volta. Un bacio, buona domenica. A presto
Welcome back! Thank you so much for sharing your trip with us. I think Italy is the best place in the world to gain weight:-) This recipe looks delicious.
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Between your trip to Italy, and my daughter’s trip to Granada this summer, I am a world class traveler LOL
I am jealous of those lovely cured meats that Theresa makes *sighs* (my weakness – well that and romano cheese – GOOD romano, capish?) I was actually contemplating asking my daughter to bring home some Spanish chorizo, but I’m not sure she’d want to stick that in her checked bag with all her clothes LOL.
Megan and Giacomo look adorable. You’ve now given me another place to visit besides Venice and Moltepulciano – Rimini!
I love carbonara – I wish I could find decent pancetta here. I may have to make the trek into Little Italy in Baltimore in order to experience an inkling of what you tasted in Italy
Glad you had such a great time with family and friends!
*I think all grandmas are alike* My daughter is staying in a host home in Granada with a 70 year old Spanish woman who keeps telling her “Comer! Comer!” and gives her HUGE hunks of breakfast bread and sandwiches – she keeps saying “¿Cuánto pesa?” LOL She thinks my daughter needs to gain about 5 kilos as well – Maybe that’s the magic number for all grandmas
HI Lora !
I just found your blog and love your recipes!
Anna
We too cook Italian recipes but mostly from southern Italy! This looks amazing! We love carbonara! We too travel to Italy often! This summer, our cousins arrive for the month of August!
Ohhh what a great post Lora.. every time when i come here I just kick back and enjoy reading!!
I think you should write a book about her, I can imagine what a life stories she has in her pocket:))..
Everything looks absolutely mouthwatering..and now welcome back!!!
It amazes me how similar our cultures are… from mangia mangia to sharing their wisdom, history, etc… Every Grandma in Macedonia looks like Nonna Antonia… and they all think I need to gain 5 kilos, at least!
P.S. I am making your spaghetti carbonara as I am typing this… can’t wait to eat! xoxo
At least you can savor the memories
Ahhh how I’d love to visit Italy!
You officially have me wanting to go back to Italy!! Perhaps we should arrange a blogger field trip!
Yum! What an amazing visit! Everything looks so delicious.
Look at those beautiful cured meats! My goodness if thats not a picture of heaven right there. Next time you shove me in that suitcase – I’ll be quiet, I promise, I’ll just eat like a pig!
I love spaghetti carbonara and this one looks so homey and delicious. Im drooling over here!
So happy you had a wonderful time on your holiday.