Italian News Headlines 26-09-2023 - Cosa Nostra mafia boss, Messina Denaro, has died of colon cancer at the age of 62. He was being held in a maximum security prison after 30 years on the run. He was responsible for dozens of murders including those of anti-mafia magistrates, Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino --- Giorgio Napolitano, the only Italian President to be elected twice, has died in Rome at the age of 98 --- Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, met with European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, on the Italian island of Lampedusa to discuss the European refugee crisis after more than 7,000 migrants arrived from Tunisia in a single week --- Venetian authorities vote to introduce 'ticket only' access to the city from 2024 --- A man who posted a video of himself carving his name into the wall of the Colosseum, while his girlfriend watched, has been identified as living in Britain --- Following the death of Silvio Berlusconi, on June 12th, Antonio Tajani will be appointed the new president of Forza Italia --- Silvio Berlusconi, 4 times Italian prime minister, has died at the age of 86 from complications resulting from Leukaemia --- Extreme weather in Emilia-Romagna has led to 14 dead and 35,000 displaced. There are 500 roads closed and over over 300 sites at risk of landslides --- Two new victims of the Vesuvius eruption in 79AD have been discovered during excavations in Pompei

Notes:

The famous pasta dish 'Spaghetti Carbonara' comes from the Lazio region of Italy, in fact, more specifically from Rome. It seems that in 1944, some American soldiers had the ingredients and were talking about what to cook with them. An imaginative Roman chef overheard the conversation, took the ingredients, and came up with spaghetti carbonara.

Ingredients:

Serves 4

  • 320g spaghetti
  • 6 medium egg yolks
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 150g streaky bacon or pancetta
  • 50g grated pecorino cheese plus extra for decoration
  • Chopped parsley, for decoration

Method:

  1. Put the spaghetti into a pan of boiling water (with a little salt if you wish) and cook according to the instructions on the packet.
  2. Meanwhile, cut the bacon or pancetta into thin strips.
  3. Cook the bacon or pancetta in a non-stick frying pan, over a low to medium heat, for around 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
  4. Meanwhile, place all the egg yolks and the grated pecorino cheese in a bowl and season with freshly ground black pepper according to taste.
  5. Whisk the egg yolks and cheese vigorously with a hand whisk.
  6. Strain the pasta and reserve a some of the cooking water. Tip the cooked spaghetti into the pan with the cooked bacon, stir well and continue to cook for a few minutes.
  7. Add the reserved 1 tablespoon of the cooking water to the whisked egg and cheese mixture and whisk again.
  8. Remove the bacon and spaghetti from the heat and pour in the egg mixture.
  9. Stir quickly to mix it all in and add a little more of the cooking water if necessary to form a thin, creamy sauce.
  10. Divide between 4 warmed bowls, sprinkle with a little extra cheese and the chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
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