Spaghetti Carbonara
The classic pasta dish from Rome.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 8 ounce spaghetti
- A big pot of boiling, lightly-salted water
- A drizzle of olive oil (about 2 teaspoons)
- 4 ounces coarsely-diced guanciale, pancetta, or bacon
- 2 large eggs, plus 1 egg yolk
- A generous 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- Freshly-ground black pepper
- Freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving
Instructions
- Put the pasta in the boiling water, and cook just until al dente -- about 9 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the olive oil and the pancetta to a large, cold skillet. Sauté, over medium-low heat, until the pork turns brown and crisp -- about 9 minutes.
- While the pasta and pork are cooking, prepare the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, the egg yolk, Pecorino Romano cheese, and several grinds of black pepper.
- When the pasta and pancetta are done, turn off the heat. Then use tongs to transfer the pasta to the pancetta. Stir until the skillet stops sizzling. Then immediately pour on the egg mixture, and stir until the pasta is thickly coated. For a thinner coating, stir in droplets of pasta water.
- To serve, divide the pasta mixture among 2 plates. Dust each serving with freshly-ground pepper and freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Enjoy while hot!