This was the first time I have ever made Spaghetti alla Carbonara and I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. I knew that Hubby would like it, considering it contains pancetta and eggs and pasta. What's not to love, right? I, on the other hand, wasn't so sure. I'm not a die hard egg lover. However, this Spaghetti alla Carbonara turned out delightfully creamy even though it contains no cream (the authentic way). I would never have known that it contained eggs. Mario says it's all about the preparation, and who am I to question someone who is so good at what he does that he can pull off wearing orange crocs? Adding the egg whites with the cheese off the heat into the cooked pasta, and then serving with the egg yolk nestled in the center of the pasta allows for each person to stir in the egg yolk which cooks in the hot pasta, and makes the sauce even creamier. Good stuff, I tell you. Very good stuff. And extremely easy. We'll call that a win on a day that I desperately needed a victory.
Spaghetti alla Carbonara
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces pancetta, or good bacon
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 1 ¼ cups freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
- 4 large eggs, separated
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bring 6 quarts of water to boil in a large pot. Add 2 tablespoons of salt.
- Meanwhile, combine the olive oil and pancetta in a large saute pan over medium heat and cook until the pancetta is crispy and golden, and the fat has rendered. Remove from the heat and set aside. Do not drain the fat.
- Cook the spaghetti in the boiling water until just al dente. Set aside ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water and then drain the pasta.
- Add the reserved pasta water to the pan with the pancetta, then toss in the pasta and heat over medium-low for 1 minute, shaking the pan and stirring the pasta.
- Remove pan from heat, add 1 cup of the parmigiano-reggiano, the egg whites, and pepper to taste. Using tongs, gently toss pasta until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
- Divide the pasta among warmed serving bowls. Make a reservoir in the center of each bowl of pasta and gently place an egg yolk into the center. Season the yolks with pepper, and sprinkle the remaining parmigiano over the top. Serve immediately.
Notes
Stirring the egg yolk into the hot pasta at the table allows for the yolk to cook slightly and make the sauce even creamier.
Credit: Molto Italiano by Mario Batali
bakeritalia
This is one of our favourites too, great with added mushrooms too.
mandyjoy
Ooh! I will definitely add mushrooms next time! Everything is better with mushrooms.
chef mimi
Beautiful. I never get tired of carbonara!
mandyjoy
I don't think I will either! For some reason I thought it would be more difficult to make than it was. I have only had it in restaurants until now. Thanks for reading!
sarbsgirl
This looks absolutely amazing Mand! Think I need to make it for Joe...boy loves his pasta ;)