Spaghetti Carbonara

 

 

It's so simple to make but difficult to get just right because, like with all good things, timing is everything. If you misjudge the heat or when to add the water, you could end up with scrambled eggs. Not terrible, but not ideal either.  So when done successfully, you end up with smoky, salty, silky, cheesy pasta perfection, that I happen to know is just as good with strong coffee and bloody mary's at breakfast as it with champagne for a late night dinner. 

 Bacon and eggs all day long...I told you it's perfect :)

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(WHAT YOU WILL NEED)

Serves 2, and can be easily doubled

1/2 pound spaghetti noodles

1 egg, and 1 egg yolk

approx 1/2 cup freshly grated cheese:  parmesan or pecorino romano

6 slices thick cut bacon, cut crosswise into pieces

fresh cracked pepper

• The cracked pepper is so essential to this dish that it's an ingredient on its own.  But never cream.  Never.
• This dish is made entirely in the time it takes to cook the pasta.  Another reason it's perfect.
• You can also make this with pancetta.  It wasn't readily available when I started making carbonara in the 90's so I used bacon and still do--I like the salty, smoky flavor it gives the sauce

Start your pasta.  In the meantime, cook your bacon.

While all this is happening, whisk your eggs together with a pinch of pepper and some cheese.  Set aside.

Now the tricky part.  All at once:

Drain grease from bacon and take the pan off the heat.

The pasta should be done so take a ladle full of hot pasta water and add it to the eggs to temper them.  Whisk together so that when you add the eggs to the pan they don't scramble.

Drain the pasta quickly and add it to the bacon in the pan that's off the heat.  Add the eggs and start mixing together.  Move the pan back to the burner you cooked it on and keep turning the pasta until its silky.  Though the burner is still off, the residual  heat will cook the eggs but not scramble them.

Serve in bowl with more grated cheese and cracked pepper.  Eat immediately.