Monday, August 9, 2010

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

LOVE.  That is what I am with this pasta dish.  IN LOVE.  Totally, completely.  I could eat this every day.  It is simple and beautiful.  I'm not the only only that loved it.  My entire family also did.  As a matter of fact, we pretty much put the entire pot away in one sitting.  Give it a try.  You will thank me.  If you do, please try to use the pancetta, it does beautiful things in your mouth.  Thank you.


Here is what you will need to create heaven in your mouth:
:


Spaghetti alla Carbonara

1 lb. Spaghetti
2 Tbsp. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
4 oz. Pancetta, cut into small pieces (you can also use bacon, it will be good, just not QUITE as good;)
4 whole large garlic cloves, minced
2 whole large eggs
1 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese, divided
Kosher Salt
Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
Fresh Parsley for garnish, optional

In a large pasta pot, add enough water to cook your pasta.  Salt your water generously.  Once water comes to a boil, add spaghetti and stir so that the pasta separates.  Cook for 8-10 minutes or until al dente.

WHILE the spaghetti is cooking, in a large pan over medium heat, add olive oil and cook pancetta until fairly crisp (3-4 minutes).  Add garlic and cook for another minute (you don't want your garlic to burn).  While these are cooking, crack your eggs into a small bowl and add 1 c. of your cheese.  Stir together and set aside.

Take a ladle of the spaghetti water and set aside.  Drain your pasta well and add to bacon mixture.  It is IMPORTANT that your pasta is hot when adding it to the mixture.  Toss well (I find that tongs work well for this).  Take off of heat.  Add in your cheese and egg mixture and toss well.  If you find the mixture is too thick, you can thin it out with a little pasta water (remember you can always add more but you can't take away so add sparingly).  Season well with pepper.

Garnish with the remainder of the cheese and fresh parsley if you like.  This dish is best eaten immediately. 

Source: bell'alimento


Nutritional Info
  • Servings Per Recipe: 6
  • Amount Per Serving
  • Calories: 540.1
  • Total Fat: 21.8 g
  • Cholesterol: 85.6 mg
  • Sodium: 235.7 mg
  • Total Carbs: 59.3 g
  • Dietary Fiber: 1.9 g
  • Protein: 26.6 g

4 comments:

  1. OK...this is the third recipe I've printed from your blog today!!! I'm feeling the pounds packing on even before I've started cooking! I ♥ your recipes! By the way...I've never seen pancetta packed like that before...where'd you get it, and what department in the store??? Is it pricey to buy it like that? I know...too many questions!

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  2. Glad you are finding things you like! I wish I didn't love eating good food so much sometimes! It is hard to exercise enough to not gain weight sometimes! I found the Pancetta at Sam's Club in the meat department area. It did work perfectly for this recipe. I actually did buy it awhile back for something else though and never used it so I can't remember how much I paid for it. I do find they are much cheaper on their meats and cheeses than other places in general though.

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  3. I was going to post to see where you got the pancetta, but it's asked and answered. I'm definitely going to make this! And also glad to know I'm not the only person with the gigantic Sam's jar of minced garlic. :D

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  4. Yup. This looks awesome. I've always cheated and used bacon instead in spaghetti carbonara(mmmmm...bacon...), but pancetta - it may be time to treat myself. BTW, if you eat too much, you will get a killer stomachache. Trust me.

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