On the last note, I did a little research on cocoa powder and found that the dutch style of processing uses alkali to reduce the acid in the cocoa bean, so I opted to keep that acid and use a naturally processed powder. Also, I decided to introduce an acid undertone to the carbonara with white balsamic vinegar. For the complementary flavor, I thought the licorice flavor in tarragon might be worth a shot, but as an accoutrement rather than as a primary flavor.
For the pasta dough, I used 2 1/2 cups of unbleached white flour, mixed 1/4 cup or so of the cocoa powder with the flour, and then dropped 6 eggs into the middle of the mound on my work table. I avoided olive oil at the suggestion of Martin. I worked the down by hand until it was no longer tacky, and then let it rest in the fridge for about an hour. I removed it and let it warm up for another 30 minutes. I then ran it through the pasta machine about twice as much as a typical pasta dough to help ensure consistency of texture and color. I sliced it at 1/4 to 3/8 inch thickness and then dried it for about 40 minutes.
The pasta was cooked in salted water for about 8-10 minutes due to the thickness of the noodles.
For the carbonara I heated a tablespoon of olive oil and added 6 thin slices of pancetta, coarsely chopped along with 2 thinly sliced cloves of garlic. When the pancetta was starting to crisp and the garlic is starting to brown, I added a few dashes of the white balsamic and briefly reduced. Next I added 1 Tbsp unsalted butter and 1 cup heavy cream. I then cracked 3 eggs and beat these briefly in a separate bowl. I added 1 1/2 cups grated Gran Padano to the eggs; this is like a young Parmesan Reggiano, less nuttiness with a slightly astringent and sharp note. Mix the cheese and egg mixture to an even consistency. Add this mixture to the pan with the cream, being careful to keep the cream below 140F initially. Stir and bring the sauce to about 160-165, being careful not to scramble the eggs. The trick here is to kill the bacteria in the eggs but not make EGGS as this will make the sauce inconsistent, ugly, and grainy on the palette. The acid from the balsamic should raise the "scramble point" such that you have a much larger window between dead bacteria and dead sauce.
For the tarragon oil, I just blended 1/4 extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 4 stalks of fresh tarragon.
Drain the pasta, cover the middle with the carbonara, and drip a few drops of the tarragon oil on top.
While this was an experiment, the results were really great. We ate it for dinner and we both loved it. The pasta has a coffee-like bitterness that balanced the richness of the sauce, and the occasional bite with tarragon in it added another flavor dimension which played nicely with the pancetta and sauce. Kudos to Martin for laying the groundwork and providing the inspiration on this one.
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