"Capellini alla Papalina" .. This classic pasta dish is historically made with Prosciutto and Egg .. Legend says chef of a small “trattoria” in Rome, located close to the Vatican City, made this unique variation of the Amatriciana "carbonara" recipe, more appealing to his clientele. The "uncured" pancetta and pecorino cheese made the Amatriciana dish too salty for his tastes, and the traditional “bucatini” were considered too low class, he thought. Therefore he decided to substitute them with Prosciutto, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and used freshly made fettucine instead. The dish actually turned out to be excellent.
As the story goes, an unknown cardinal of modest habits was ordering this pasta nearly everytime he visited the restaurant. That cardinal became later Pope Pius XII, and the dish was then dedicated to commemorate him .. hence the Papalina reference.
I altered the dish by utilizing Mia Piccola Cucina's "house made" Capellini Pasta, smoked pancetta, eggs and adding herbs with a touch of mascarpone cheese. This built a thick rich sauce which had an unbelievable depth of flavor especially when hand grated Parmigiano Reggiano was folded in.
I hope you get a kick out of my take on a classic Roman dish!
Mangia Mangia!
Check out my version of this "Vatican" favorite on facebook.com/TheBaldChefCooks
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