Spaghetti pasta alla carbonara. Luscious and wonderfully indulgent, pasta carbonara takes as long to make as it does to cook the pasta. The ingredients are simple—just spaghetti (or other long pasta), pancetta or bacon, eggs, Parmesan, a little olive oil, salt and pepper. A silky sauce is created when the beaten eggs are tossed with the hot pasta and a little fat from the pancetta or bacon.
Did I already mention indulgent? Yes, this is not a make-it-everyday recipe. This is a I’ve-been-eating-my-kale-for-weeks-and-now-I-want-to-splurge recipe. But heck, if you are going to splurge, you may as well do it right.
The trick to making a successful carbonara? Stirring the egg mixture quickly into the pasta which should be hot enough to “cook” the egg to make a sauce but not so hot as to make it curdle. Getting it just right can take some practice so don’t despair if your sauce is a little lumpy the first time you make it.
Some people add cream to their carbonara. It’s not traditional, but you can certainly do this, and make an even creamier sauce for the pasta. Personally I think it’s rich enough without it. Enjoy!
Spaghetti Pasta Carbonara Recipe
This recipe uses raw eggs, which are essentially cooked by tossing with hot pasta. They are not cooked to the point of scrambled though, just enough to thicken the eggs into a sauce.
The garlic is optional. It is not usually included in pasta carbonara, but it tastes great so we've included it. By the way, "guanciale", or pork jowl, is traditionally used in this dish, so if you can get it, by all means use it.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil or unsalted butter
- 1/2 pound pancetta or thick cut bacon, diced
- 1-2 garlic cloves, minced, about 1 teaspoon (optional)
- 3-4 whole eggs
- 1 cup grated parmesan or pecorino cheese
- 1 pound spaghetti pasta (or bucatini or fettuccine)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
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