Carbonara Pasta
my personal favorite pasta from Rome
Carbonara, one of the four great pastas of Rome, my mom used to make this for my siblings and me all the time and referred to it as “breakfast pasta”. I'm assuming at the time she just didn't know you weren't supposed to scramble the eggs, but nonetheless, it was amazing since she made it.
I used fresh pasta here, but you can definitely substitute it with dried. Rigatoni is my preference (never penne because fuck that shape). The sauce and guanciale really get into those tubes and ridges of the rigatoni. Bucatini or spaghetti will also do the trick. And hey, if you accidentally scramble your eggs, no big deal! Just give it another go next time, you'll still have a heartwarming pasta dish.
Serves 4, or just two if wanna tank pound of pasta
Ingredients:
16 ounces (1 pound) pasta
4 ounces guanciale, pancetta, or bacon, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rectangles (guanciale is my favorite)
3 egg yolks and 2 whole eggs
2 ounces grated pecorino romano
2 ounces grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Prepartions:
Step 1:
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Fill a large serving bowl with hot water to warm it; set aside.
Step 2:
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolks, and cheese. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper (1-2 teaspoons)
Step 3:
Heat the guanciale in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté until the fat begins to render and the edges are crisp. Remove from heat and set aside.
Step 4:
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water. Drain the pasta.
Step 5:
Empty the hot water from the serving bowl and dry it thoroughly. Add the hot pasta mixture to the bowl. Stir in the guanciale, and egg-cheese mixture, adding reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a creamy consistency. Serve immediately, garnished with additional grated cheese and ground black pepper.