Alden's Country Pasta Carbonara
Super simple countrified play on the traditional pasta carbonara
Equipment
- large sauce pan or stock pot
- 12"-14" high sided sauté pan, bonus if it's pretty enough to go from stove to table
- tongs
- ladle
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 1 lbs box long pasta bucatini, spaghetti, linguine
- ½ lbs thick cut bacon in 1/2" pieces or slab bacon 1/4" dice
- 1 ¼ cups shredded parmesan cheese fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, or a combination of the two if you can find them would be fantastic also!
- 2 whole eggs
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper + more to taste
- 1 tablespoon salt + more to taste
Instructions
- Over medium heat in a large, deep sided sauté pan, render bacon until crispy on all sides. Once bacon is crisp, turn the heat as low as it can go. Spoon out all but about 3 tablespoons of bacon fat.
- While the bacon is rendering, begin heating the amount of pasta water directed on the box, adding enough salt added to make the water as salty as the ocean, at least a tablespoon.
- While the pasta water is coming to a boil, beat the eggs and egg yolks together in a 2 cup liquid measuring cup with a spout for easy pouring, until they are homogenous, then stir the parmesan cheese and black pepper.
- Once the pasta water is boiling, add your pasta, cooking 1 minutes less than box instructions.
- Do not drain the pasta. Add one ladle of pasta water to the bacon pan. Using tongs transfer the pasta from the pasta pot to the bacon pan. Toss the pasta in the bacon fat and pasta water until coated.
- Slowly add 1/4 cup of the hot pasta water while stirring to the egg and parmesan mixture to temper the eggs.
- While continuously and vigorously tossing the pasta with the tongs, begin slowly adding the parmesan egg mixture; keep tossing until the pasta is evenly coated in the parmesan egg mixture. Keep moving the pasta and begin adding additional pasta water ¼ cup at a time until the sauce develops a sheen and desired consistency.
- Taste for seasoning, add additional salt and/or pepper if needed. Garnish with more parm and black pepper, serve immediately.
Notes
When preparing pasta carbonara, you should be aware that the eggs do not cook completely. There are risks associated with consuming undercooked eggs. If over-medium or soft boiled eggs aren't your style, that's as far as the eggs will cook in this process.
If using pre-shredded parmesan cheese, be sure to use the shredded from the refrigerated cheese section, not the grated from the pasta aisle. Long shreds are a yes, powdered shelf-stable powdered cheese is a BIG no.
Nutrition
Calories: 581kcalCarbohydrates: 59gProtein: 26gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 223mgSodium: 1778mgPotassium: 305mgFiber: 3gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 433IUCalcium: 292mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!