Classic spaghetti carbonara is a rich, delicious pasta dish that takes minutes to make with ingredients you probably already have in your fridge.
About a zillion years ago, my husband asked me to make spaghetti carbonara. I have absolutely no good excuse as to why it took me so long. I make pasta regularly. I usually have all of the ingredients on hand. But I just never got around to it. Last Sunday was his birthday and it was cold and rainy. We had about an hour at home in between a birthday party and a soccer game so this was my chance. With only an hour, I could boil water and cook pasta, but there wasn’t much time to fuss over a sauce. It was perfect comfort food on a cold night.
Pasta dishes like this tend to be our favorites. A few simple ingredients are all you need for delicious pasta. I regularly make cacio e pepe (also at my husband’s request… like EVERY time I make steak), checca sauce when tomatoes are in season and my kids’ favorite: parmesan cream. One thing I’ve learned is to use good quality cheese; and grate it yourself. The pre-grated stuff doesn’t melt the same. For this one, I use really fresh, cage free eggs. They’re barely cooked so you want something that’s high quality.
Serve this with a green salad and a big glass of your favorite wine. Perfection.
- 1 pound spaghetti
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- ¾ cup diced pancetta
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
- Pour a little olive oil in a saute pan and heat over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until crisp. Transfer pancetta and any drippings to a large serving bowl and set aside in a warm spot.
- In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and cheese.
- Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water.
- Add the hot spaghetti to the bowl with the pancetta and toss to coat. Pour the egg mixture over the whole thing and toss quickly until the eggs thicken. If it's too thick, add a little of the reserved pasta water. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- To serve, divide pasta among bowls and top with more Parmesan.
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