Pasta Carbonara

Ingredients

  • 140g bucatini (or other long pasta)
  • 130g guanciale (or pancetta), roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 tsp pepper
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • Salt

Method

  1. Bring pot of unsalted water to boil, with just enough water to cover pasta for the duration of cooking.  This will ensure a better concentration of starchy water to add to the sauce in later steps
  2. Add pepper and olive oil to skillet, heat for about 5 minutes until fragrant.  Turn off heat
  3. Separate egg yolks and whites
  4. Fry guanciale (in a different skillet) until golden and fat has rendered.  Remove from skillet and reserve 
  5. When pasta is about two minutes to done, pour about 2 tbsp of water into the skillet,  and reserve about another 1/4 cup.  Now add salt to the pasta to taste, and almost finish cooking
  6. When pasta is almost done, transfer directly to skillet (do not rinse!!! you'll lose all the good starchiness)
  7. Let cool down for a minute or two, then add egg whites and stir.  Add grated cheese and stir some more.  If the cheese is too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water (not the salted water, it will be too salty) until desired consistency.  Mix in guanciale.  Turn on heat to low if things get too cool
  8. Serve with egg yolk on top

Notes

  • Based on comments on Serious Eats, I now mix the cheese into cooled-down pasta water and then bring back up to a boil

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