Pasta Carbonara

Carbonara has to be one of my favorite pasta dishes of all time.  Not only is it delicious, it’s also super quick to make with minimal ingredients that you may just have laying around already. When you feel like something indulgent, this is it!

My boys actually used to fight for seconds when I made this. So if you have growing teenagers, you may want to double this recipe…otherwise, this should serve about 4 people (or 1 teenage boy).

In my opinion, there are a few key ingredients to making a good carbonara.  The first being good pasta (my favorite brands for this are Barilla or De Cecco).  You also need pancetta or a good thick slice quality bacon or if you are lucky enough to find it Guanciale. My personal preference is Guanciale or Pancetta but a good quality bacon works perfect in a pinch.  Good quality eggs (free range organic preferably) and of course good parmesan (the real stuff)  look for parmigiano reggiano stamped on the rind and you’ll know you’ve got the good stuff..oh and don’t forget freshly ground pepper.  Ok I am not trying to sound food snobbish, but good quality ingredients for a simple dish like this really make all the difference.

I have tried many different carbonara recipes over the years…and have since come up with my own.  So this is how I make mine.  The key is not to scramble your eggs, you want to cook them into a rich luxurious sauce. And please don’t use cream ,firstly it’s not authentic, and if you do this right, the eggs and the pasta water will create a creamy sauce with no cream required.

Ingredients:

– 450 grams of dry linguini or spaghetti

– 8 thick slices of bacon or better yet equal amounts of pancetta, or guanciale diced

– 4 garlic cloves, minced

– 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk

– 1 cup fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus you will need more for serving at the table

– Freshly Ground Pepper (it just has to be fresh for this dish)

– 1 bunch fresh flat leaf parsley (chopped)

– 1/2 cup or so of reserved pasta water

Bring a large pot of water to a boil to cook your pasta in, be sure to salt it well. While your water is coming to a boil, cook your sauce.  In a frying pan gently fry pancetta/bacon or guanciale. If you use pancetta you may need to add a little oil, but bacon or guanciale will be fatty enough on their own.   Cook for a until just about done (browned nicely, fat rendered) and then add your garlic in for the last minute of cooking until fragrant.  Meanwhile grate 1 cup of fresh parmesan and mix it well in a bowl with the eggs.  Cook your pasta until al dente (reserve about 1/2 cup of starchy cooking water in case you need to loosen your sauce).

Once your pasta is done, you have to work quickly.  Toss your pasta first with your warm pancetta garlic mixture (including the fat, don’t drain) toss pasta to coat.  Remove from heat and in a separate bowl combines together with your egg/parmesan mixture, stir quickly.  If you like use a little of the reserved pasta water to loosen your sauce.  Serve with freshly ground pepper, parsley and more parmesan to taste.  This is best eaten right away.