My desire to put together the perfect carbonara recipe came from a meal I had in Rome, way back in 2003. When I tried to order the same dish at restaurants in NYC, I just couldn’t find anything that came close. Most places used cream. Some added peas - the horror! Where was the simple, rustic dish that I fell in love with in Italy? So naturally, I decided to learn to make it myself. All these years later, it’s by far my most requested meal. Birthdays? Potlucks? “Please make carbonara.” The surprising thing is, it’s also the simplest! It can be thrown together on a whim with ingredients you likely already have on hand - spaghetti, cheese, eggs, butter, and in a pinch, bacon instead of pancetta. Because it’s so simple, the quality of your ingredients will affect the outcome of the dish. However, you’ll wind up with a satisfyingly simple supper - or brunch - either way. After all, it’s basically pasta with bacon and eggs!
SPAGHETTI CARBONARA
Prep time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4 - 6
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb spaghetti
4 large eggs
8 oz parmesan cheese
1 stick butter, room temp, cubed
1 lb pancetta, 1/4” dice (or 8 oz prepackaged pancetta or bacon)
4 cloves garlic
Coursely ground black pepper
Salt
DIRECTIONS:
Fill a large pot with water and salt “to the salinity of the sea.” What does that mean exactly? A fantastic guide can be found here. Bring to a boil.
While water is boiling, add cubed pancetta and whole garlic cloves to a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook until the fat renders and the pancetta becomes slightly crispy. Drain on a paper towel, and remove garlic cloves. (Tip: Use the garlic to make a side of garlic bread or garlic butter.)
Whisk to combine eggs, butter, and cheese in a large serving bowl.
Add pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente.
When the pasta is cooked, quickly strain and IMMEDIATELY transfer to the serving dish. With the right speed, you’ll retain some of the cooking liquid, so there’s no need to reserve any. Toss the pasta with the sauce until completely coated. This will “cook” the eggs. Stir in the cooked pancetta.
Top with plenty of freshly group black pepper and serve immediately.
NOTE: Pancetta purchased from a butcher generally will contain more fat that will render - hence the discrepancy in the amounts needed. I’ve also prepared this recipe numerous times with both dried and fresh pasta, and I personally prefer the way that al dente dried pasta stands up to this particular sauce. But to each their own!
Salt to “the salinity of the sea” - this is the only chance you have season your pasta.
Cook your pancetta or bacon just until crispy.
Don’t forget to remove those garlic cloves - smash them and use them to make garlic bread!
I always use organic eggs and butter, and high quality parmesan cheese.
Make sure your butter is at room temp before you whisk!
Feels like brunch!
Your sauce is ready in a snap.
I prefer dried pasta cooked al dente for this particular recipe.
Act fast - the hot pasta will “cook” your sauce - it’s ok if a little cooking liquid spills over as well.
Mmmm, there’s that creaminess. But NO CREAM.
Add your “bacon” to your “eggs” - because they belong together.
Serve with a nice fresh salad to break up that delicious creaminess! Buon Appetito!