It’s December 1 and we’re back home after a wonderful time at our daughter and son in laws house for Thanksgiving in Washington D.C. While I didn’t make the whole dinner I helped out where I could and somehow ended up in the market numerous times. It’s Sunday and I want to eat home tonite so I decided to make dinner.
Now I was really craving pasta but absolutely had to make it from what I had in my house because I am not going near a supermarket for at least a few more days. So few ingredients for such a perfect pasta. I had pasta, eggs, and I always have pancetta in my freezer. Real carbonara recipes do not contain cream contrary to many recipes , however I did have a tiny bit of heavy cream in the fridge and I like the silky texture of it so I added a little bit, it is totally optional as recipe shows but I like it. This is a wonderful warming pasta for the cold nights ahead.
*serves between 4-6 depending on who’s eating it
Ingredients:
1 lb. dry spaghetti ( I love bucatini or perciatelli ) I like the ropey pasta , but use whatever you have in the house, any spaghetti will work.
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 oz. chopped pancetta ( I buy it already diced and keep it in the freezer)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 large eggs beaten
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano , plus more for serving
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
I like to prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking to ensure that the pasta will be hot and ready when the sauce is finished.
Cook pasta according to box directions for al dente. Reserve about a cup of pasta water for thinning out sauce.
Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over a medium heat.
Add the pancetta and sauté for about 3 minutes, until it is crisp and the fat is rendered. Toss the garlic into the fat and sauté for a minute or so till it softens.
Add the hot drained pasta to the pan and give it a good toss for a few minutes , you’ll want pasta to be coated in the bacon fat. Beat the eggs and parmesan together in a mixing bowl, stir well to prevent lumps. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the egg/cheese mixture into the pasta, whisking quickly until the eggs thicken but do not scramble (that is why you do this off the heat) Thin out the sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water until it reaches desired consistency. Season the carbonara with several turns of freshly ground black pepper and salt for taste.
Add more cheese at table if you’d like!
Simple and Delicious!
Cooking with Candi 