Also known as coal miner’s spaghetti (according to wikipedia), pasta alla carbonara is a really simple and easy dish to prepare (why I’m done cooking in under 20 minutes).
It’s a hearty, delicious and very satisfying. I like to use Tyler Florence’s simple recipe with some adjustments to suit my family’s taste and my preference in cooking.
I replaced the bacon fat with EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil) to make it healthier, took the bacon off the pan and added it back towards the end of cooking cause I want the bacon still crisp when I serve them.
I also thought that 1 pound of spaghetti is too much for the amount of the ingredients for the sauce so I only used less than 12 ounces which is enough for the four of us plus I think that the recipe could use more bacon, I’ll definitely add more next time. 😄
Make your own adjustment/s too to the recipe as needed.
The basic ingredients for pasta alla carbonara is spaghetti, fettuccine or cappellini, eggs, parmesan cheese (grated parmigiano reggiano if you have it , is always better) bacon or ham plus olive oil.. if you have these in stock, you can make yourself a yummy pasta carbonara in just a short time.
Brown the bacon, transfer to a platter and set aside; discard bacon fat and replace with EVOO.
Heat olive oil and saute the garlic,-you don’t have to brown it just make it soft, it’s just my personal preference.
Combine eggs and grated parmesan cheese in a bowl.
Add the cooked spaghetti to the pan, turn off heat/fire then add egg-parmesan mixture.
Then put the bacon back too, mix well.
Season with ground pepper and more grated parmesan cheese if needed; add chopped parsley if using. Happy eating! 😊
Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 oz Spaghetti
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil extra virgin
- 4 oz Pancetta or slab bacon / cubed or sliced into small strips
- 5 cloves Garlic finely chopped
- 2 pcs Eggs large size
- 1 cup Parmesan Cheese grated / or even better freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano, plus more for serving
- Black Pepper for taste
- 1 handful Parsley handful fresh flat-leaf / chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender yet firm (as they say in Italian “al dente”).
- Drain the pasta well, reserving ½ cup of the starchy cooking water to use in the sauce if you wish.
- Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in a deep skillet over medium flame.
- Add the bacon and cook until crisp and the fat is rendered.
- Transfer bacon in a small platter and set aside, discard bacon fat and replace with 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Add the garlic into the hot EVOO and saute for less than 1 minute to soften.
- I like to cook it until it browns a little.
- Add hot spaghetti to the pan and toss for 2 minutes to coat the strands in the olive oil.
- Beat the eggs and parmesan together in a mixing bowl, stirring well to prevent lumps.
- Remove the pan from the heat and pour the egg/cheese mixture into the pasta, whisking quickly until the eggs thicken, but do not scramble. (this is done off the heat to ensure this does not happen)
- Thin out the sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water, until it reaches desired consistency.
- Season the carbonara with several turns of freshly ground black pepper and taste for salt.
- Mound the spaghetti carbonara into warm serving bowls and garnish with chopped parsley.
- Pass more cheese around the table.
- Enjoy!
