Carbonara

My husband feels this dish has to be served with spaghetti but I disagree.  However, I do really like using fresh pasta, which I buy from A. Mercurio on Mamaroneck Ave.  You can also find guanciale down the street at Paisano’s deli.

Ingredients

·       Olive oil

·       ¼ lb guanciale (or pancetta), minced (as best you can)

·       2 fat cloves garlic, minced

·       4 egg yolks

·       1 lb pasta of your choice, typically Bucatini, Spaghetti or Rigatoni is used

·       ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

·       Freshly ground black pepper

·       Handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

Put a pot of salted water on the stove for the pasta. 

In a high sided saute pan, heat the oil and cook the guanciale over medium heat.  You don’t want to burn it and it will take a while to render all of the fat so keep an eye on the temp and stir often.  While the pork is cooking, whisk the yolks in a bowl and set aside.

Once the pork fat has melted off, add the garlic and turn the heat to low.  Stir frequently until the garlic has cooked, but do not burn it.  Set the pan off the heat and enjoy the smell.

When the water boils, add the pasta and cook to “al dente”, a minute short of the cooking time on the packaging.  Scoop out one cup of the hot, salted pasta cooking water and drain the pasta.  Add the pasta to the pan with the guanciale and toss. 

While rapidly whisking the yolks, add a little hot water at a time to temper the eggs so they don’t scramble.  When you have added half of the water, pour the egg yolks in with the pasta and toss well.  While everything is still hot, add the cheese in 3 increments and toss so the cheese melts into the sauce and forms a creamy, velvety texture.  If you feel it is too thick, you can add more of the hot water, a little at a time.  Crack the fresh pepper into the pan and the parsley and toss more.