Spaghetti alla Carbonara from Roma


Description

Spaghetti alla carbonara only has 4 ingredients and is ready to eat in the time it takes to cook the spaghetti.

Ingredients

1 lb
Wheat Spaghetti (durum wheat pasta)
4
Bacon (Recipe calls for guanciale or pancetta, about 1/2 inch thick)
5
Eggs (4 yolks, 1 whole egg)
1 c
Pecorino Romano (grated)
1 T
Extra virgin olive oil
1 T
Black pepper (grated)
2 T
Sea Salt (for the pasta water)

Instructions

Cooking Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Put the egg yolks and one whole egg in a bowl and beat them well.
Add the percorino and a healthy amount (about a tablespoon) of freshly ground black pepper.
Mix the egg mixture well. Set aside.
Cut 4 half-inch guanciale slices and cut the slices into one-inch strips.
Over a medium flame heat the EVOO in a large skillet.
When the oil begins to sizzle add the guanciale and saute until the guanciale starts to develop a crispy, brown crust.
Drain all but two tablespoons of the fat from the saute pan.
Reduce the heat to medium-low.
Pull the al dente spaghetti out of the water with tongs or a spider and put it in the saute pan. (If you drain your pasta save 2 cups of the pasta water.)
Add a cup of the hot pasta water and mix the spaghetti to distribute the guanciale well. Saute the spaghetti in the sauce for about a minute to finish cooking.
Make sure the pasta is hot so it cooks the egg mixture.
Close the flame.
Add the egg mixture and coat the spaghetti well all over. Be quick you do not want to scramble the eggs. If the sauce is too dense add more pasta water to loosen the sauce.
Serve family style or twist a nest of spaghetti onto a warm plate.
Sprinkle freshly ground black pepper and grated pecorino over the top of the spaghetti.
Serve immediately.

Notes

"Search out guanciale. It’s integral to the dish. (In a pinch you could use pancetta.) Use a dried durum wheat pasta extruded through bronze dies imported from Italy so the sauce will cling to its rough surface. Don’t be shy with the black pepper. Use pecorino for it’s more robust flavor, not parmigiano.

The spaghetti takes on a golden hue. Creamy, silky sauce coats every strand. Rich pecorino flavor plays off salty, crispy guanciale and black pepper tickles your throat with every bite."

Recipe type

Pasta

Cuisine

Italian