Spaghetti Carbonara
Creamy Italian pasta dish where spaghetti is tossed with eggs and cheese (Pecorino and Parmesan) and crisp pancetta with garlic, finished with pasta water to create a silky sauce.
Steps
- 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- 2
Finely chop the pancetta and grate the Pecorino and Parmesan; mix them together.
- 3
Beat the eggs in a medium bowl and season with black pepper; set aside.
- 4
Add salt to the boiling water, add spaghetti, and cook until al dente (about 10 minutes).
- 5
Bruise the garlic cloves with the blade of a knife.
- 6
Fry the pancetta with the garlic in butter in a large pan over medium heat.
- 7
Cook until the pancetta is golden and crisp; remove the garlic.
- 8
Keep the heat low and transfer the drained pasta to the pan with the pancetta; reserve some pasta water.
- 9
Mix most of the cheese into the eggs, reserving a handful for later.
- 10
Remove the pan from heat and quickly stir in the eggs and cheese, tossing to coat the pasta.
- 11
Add pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce; season to taste with salt if necessary.
- 12
Twirl onto plates and serve with the remaining cheese and a grind of black pepper; add more hot water if the sauce seems dry.
