‘Summer House’: Andrea Denver Shares Killer Rigatoni Alla Carbonara Recipe – How He Stays Ripped and Eats Pasta [Exclusive]
Food porn alert on Summer House! Andrea Denver returns for the weekend and gets a re-do on last summer’s Italian feast.
This time the Italian native made rigatoni alla carbonara and Denver generously shared his recipe with Showbiz Cheat Sheet.
The sumptuous dish only has a few ingredients, but the decadence shines through. Denver told Showbiz Cheat Sheet that quality ingredients are key to this dish.
“It’s one of my favorite pastas and I’ve done it so many times,” he said. “So it was easy for me. When I decided to cook for everybody I knew what I was going to do. But I have to say, the one that I cooked that night was probably my best ever, so I was really happy.”
Andrea Denver shares his ‘Summer House’ recipe
This dish calls for spaghetti, but Denver prefers to use rigatoni because it holds the sauce. To make rigatoni alla carbonara for two, you’ll need rigatoni (320g), guanciale (150 g), 6 egg yolks (medium eggs) pecorino romano (50 g), and black pepper to taste.
Denver said if you can’t find guanciale, you can substitute with pancetta. “But don’t use regular bacon!” he laughed.
The first step is to fill a large saucepan with salted water. Place on the stove at a high setting so it eventually comes to a boil.
In the meantime, remove the rind from the guanciale and cut it first into slices and then into strips about 1cm thick. The leftover rind can be reused to flavor the pasta a little bit at the end.
Pour the pieces of guanciale into a non-stick pan and brown for about 10 minutes over medium-high heat. Be careful not to burn it otherwise, the aroma will be overpowering. Next, plunge the rigatoni into boiling water and cook them al dente. Meanwhile, pour the egg yolks into a bowl.
Andrea explains how to make this ‘Summer House’ recipe creamy
Add the pecorino and season with the black pepper. Mix everything with a hand whisk until you get a smooth cream.
By now, the guanciale will be ready to cook. Turn off the heat and use a ladle to remove it from the pan, leaving the cooking juices in the pan itself. Transfer the guanciale into a small bowl and set aside. Pour a ladle of water from the pasta into the pan, together with the guanciale’s fat.
Drain the pasta al dente directly into the pan with the cooking liquid. Saute it briefly to flavor it. Remove from the heat and pour the egg and pecorino mixture into the pan. Stir quickly to mix.
To make it creamy, you can add a little cooking water from the pasta. Add the guanciale, mix one last time, and serve the rigatoni alla carbonara immediately, adding more pecorino on the surface and a pinch of black pepper.
How does Andrea Denver stay fit but still eat pasta?
As a model, Denver has to be cognizant of what he eats. But he doesn’t restrict himself from indulgences and explained how he can essentially have his pasta and eat it too.
“It’s funny because even [girlfriend] Lexi noticed that we eat double the pasta in Italy than what we eat in the United States but we both lose weight when we are in Italy,” he said.
“I just think it’s the product,” he added. “Because we don’t really talk about organic and stuff, which is common in the United States. It’s just the quality of the product but you don’t overpay for the difference like you do in the United States.”
“But I think if you walk a little bit and work out a little bit, you can eat pasta every day when you’re in Italy,” he said. “And even Lexi’s dad last year, it was his first time in Italy and we basically ate pizza and pasta every day he came back to the United States and lost weight as well.”
The Summer House cast indulges in Denver’s meal (and more drama) tonight at 9 pm on Bravo.
