Italy · Italy

Pasta Carbonara (Egg, Pecorino and Pancetta Spaghetti)

Name: Pasta Carbonara (Egg, Pecorino and Pancetta Spaghetti)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italy
Ingredients: spaghetti 400 g; pancetta, diced 200 g; egg yolks 4 pieces; whole egg 1 pieces; pecorino romano, grated 80 g; parmesan, grated 40 g; black pepper, cracked 2 tsp; fine salt 2 tsp; flat-leaf parsley 2 tbsp

Spaghetti tossed with a silky emulsion of eggs, pecorino and rendered pancetta, finished with black pepper.

25 minutes · 4 servings · Moderate

Carbonara belongs to Rome, where it was assembled from what was at hand rather than from cream, which many recipes elsewhere still insist on. The egg and cheese must be pulled off the heat before they meet the pan, or they turn to scrambled curds instead of a sauce. Pecorino, guanciale and coarse black pepper are the points of disagreement worth having.

Ingredients

spaghetti400 g
pancetta, diced200 g
egg yolks4 pieces
whole egg1 pieces
pecorino romano, grated80 g
parmesan, grated40 g
black pepper, cracked2 tsp
fine salt2 tsp
flat-leaf parsley2 tbsp

Directions

1
Boil spaghetti in heavily salted water until just shy of al dente; reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
Pasta bends but still has a firm bite in the center.
2
Render pancetta in a dry pan until crisp and the fat is golden.
Pancetta is mahogany and crisp, fat is clear.
3
Whisk yolks, whole egg, pecorino, parmesan and lots of pepper.
Mixture is thick and pale.
4
Off heat, toss hot pasta with pancetta, then quickly mix in the egg mixture with a splash of pasta water.
Sauce is glossy and coats every strand without scrambling.
5
Plate immediately, top with extra pecorino and cracked pepper.
Pasta is glossy, silky and smells of pepper and cheese.

Source: WorldBite Editorial · WorldBite Proprietary Editorial Content