Creamy Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Creamy Spaghetti alla Carbonara - a creamy and delicious classic pasta dish that is perfect for date-night-in or Valentine's Day!
Ingredients
- ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese freshly grated
- 1 egg
- 2 egg yolks
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3-4 teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ pound spaghetti noodles
- 4 ounces pancetta roughly chopped
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Egg/Cheese Mixture: In a small bowl, add ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, 1 egg, 2 egg yolks, and ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- Cook Pasta: In a large pot, add just enough water to cover the pasta. Add about 3-4 teaspoons kosher salt. Bring water to boil and add ½ pound spaghetti noodles - cook al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water and set aside. Drain the rest of the pasta.
- Sauté: While pasta is cooking, place chopped pancetta in a large skillet (that is big enough to hold your pasta too) and bring to medium heat. Cook pancetta until the fat renders itself and the pancetta becomes somewhat crispy (this should take almost as long as it takes for your pasta to cook - but if your pancetta gets done first, just remove from heat for a minute). Add ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes (if desired) to the pancetta and let cook another minute.
- Add Noodles: Add the cooked noodles into the pan with the pancetta. Bring back to medium heat and stir constantly - add a splash of the pasta water (about a tablespoon) and stir some more, ensuring the pasta is nice and hot and coated with the rendered pancetta fat.
- Combine: Pour in the egg/cheese mixture and immediately remove from direct heat. Stir constantly ensuring the egg coats every noodle. If egg gets thick, add additional pasta water to emulsify the egg and to keep a creamy consistency. (I ended up using the entire ½ cup pasta water)
- Adjust: Taste and add a pinch of salt and any additional fresh ground pepper to taste (I added about ⅛ teaspoon to mine and it was perfect, but it might depend upon how salty your pancetta is).
- Serve: Garnish with additional chunks or freshly grated cheese and fresh parsley, if desired.
Notes
- Note: consuming uncooked or undercooked eggs should be done at your own discretion.
Nutrition
Calories: 423kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 165mg | Sodium: 2156mg | Potassium: 221mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 316IU | Calcium: 181mg | Iron: 1mg
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