Spaghetti carbonara
A deliciously creamy spaghetti carbonara recipe, adapted from Serious Eats. I spent a while searching for a good non-Pork alternative to Guanciale (trying bresaola, beef, and lamb bacon) — the bresaola adds a nice crisp texture to the dish I really enjoy, although I might get in trouble for admitting to cooking bresaola.
INGREDIENTS
- Kosher salt
- 450g dried spaghetti
- 85g beef or lamb bacon (diced)
- 3 tbsp (45ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 whole large eggs plus 6 yolks
- 25g Pecorino Romano (grated)
- 25g Parmigiano-Reggiano (grated)
- 1 tbsp whole black pepper
STEPS
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Toast the black pepper in a frying pan until fragrant, then grind in a mortar and pestle.
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Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring, until al dente, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
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Meanwhile, combine the beef or lamb bacon with 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large frying pan and cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat, until fat has rendered and bacon is crisp, about 7 minutes. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together whole eggs and yolks, pecorino, parmigiano, and black pepper.
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Using tongs, transfer pasta to the frying pan with the crisped bacon and its fat; be sure not to drain boiling pasta water. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to pasta and stir to combine; remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Add the egg mixture alongside the 1/2 cup pasta-cooking water and stir well to combine.
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Over a very low heat, agitate the pasta with tongs, until sauce thickens to a creamy, silky consistency and leaves trails as you stir. Remove from heat, season with salt if needed, and divide into bowls. Serve right away, topping with more grated cheese and freshly ground pepper as desired.
