Spaghetti alla Carbonara is one of the all time classic pasta dishes. Very few ingredients – pasta, eggs, bacon and cheese – so it should be simple, right? Well technique is everything here. One wrong move and you will end up with scrambled eggs in your pasta. Since going gluten free I have not been cooking much pasta lately so I was a little nervous going for this. Good thing is the gluten free pastas have come a long way and are now very good, so let’s get started.
As I said, not too many ingredients for this one. I always use pancetta instead of bacon as I think it adds more flavor. Be sure to take the eggs out of the fridge and bring to room temp before starting. You will get a creamier sauce with warm eggs. While the pasta is cooking, get the pancetta going.
Heat a large skillet and cook the pancetta until it is crispy and the fat is rendered. Remove from heat.
Whisk the cheese and eggs in a small bowl until well combined – this is going to be the sauce. Return the pancetta pan to medium heat, and add half of the reserved pasta water to the pan. Toss in the spaghetti and agitate the pan over the heat for a few seconds until the bubbling subsides. Much of the water will evaporate. Now remove from heat and add the egg mixture.
Mis well and pour the Carbonara onto a serving platter and season liberally with fresh pepper. Serve immediately. Cheers!
PS – Kris said this was the best meal I have cooked this year!!
Ingredients:
1 pound dry spaghetti
4 large eggs, as fresh as possible
8 ounces pancetta, cubed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino
Freshly cracked black pepper
Sea salt
Directions:
Bring about 6 quarts of generously salted water (it should taste like the ocean) to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. When the pasta is done, reserve 1/2 cup of the water, then drain.
While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and sauté until the meat is crispy and has rendered its fat. Turn off the heat.
In a small bowl whisk the eggs and the cheeses until well-combined.
Return the pancetta pan to medium heat, and add half of the reserved pasta water to the pan. Toss in the spaghetti and agitate the pan over the heat for a few seconds until the bubbling subsides. Much of the water will evaporate
Remove the pan from the heat and add the egg mixture and stirring quickly until the eggs thicken. The residual heat will cook the eggs but work quickly to prevent the eggs from scrambling. If the sauce seems too thick, thin it out with a little bit more of the reserved pasta water.
Pour the pasta onto a large serving platter and season liberally with fresh black pepper. Serve immediately.