Carbonara
The best thing I ate in June may have been this Carbonara. Our first go at making it, and it was truly just our excuse to crack into one of the nice bottles of wine we have on hand. We’ve had a bottle from our Walla Walla wine tasting trip saved for almost 2 years, and I’ve been dying for an excuse to break into it! At-home carbonara was it! A rich + silky pasta in the most delicious sauce with a glass of a nice red wine. It was heaven.
It was so easy
I hear carbonara and I instantly get a little terrified. At least I did. The silliest fears because this was such an easy dinner to make. And one that was fun for us to handle together. Jordan prepped the sauce, and got it all whisked together, and I cooked the pancetta + got the water boiling. That’s kind of all you need to do,
Once the pasta was cooked just enough, it all comes together quick. Pasta goes into the skilled with the pancetta, whisked egg + cheese mixture goes in, and it’s just patience from there. Keep it all low + slow, and it seems impossible to screw it up.
World’s greatest cheese sauce
As we were finally sitting down to eat, we just kept saying that it was like the best ever mac + cheese sauce. Accept no heaps of like 3 cheese. Just a little egg, parmesan, and pancetta drippings. And let me tell you, it’s creamy cheese sauce heaven.
Don’t stop stirring
Because I so want to make this again, the thing I am vowing to remember, and what I’m attributing to the success of the sauce - never stop stirring. The fear with carbonara is scrambled eggs. I think any online recipe will put that fear into you. But when I added the pasta and reserved pasta water in with the sauce, it was just so soup-y. I stayed calm + collected, kept the heat on low, and just kept gently stirring. It started ti visibly thicken up, just slight enough to where the soup factor was gone. The sauce was coating the noodles and was visibly perfect. Served right away and just totally devoured.
The other thing I was quite happy about when it came to this dinner - we made just enough for 2. No leftovers or temptation for a 2nd spoonful. Just enough to go from the pot to two bowls, and be the perfect Saturday dinner at home.
For the pasta (2 servings)
2 ounces pancetta
1 egg + 2 egg yolks
2 1/2 ounces of freshly grated parmesan (about a 1/2 c. of shredded parm) plus more for garnish
Buccatini or linguini noodles (we used buccatini)
1/2 tsp black pepper
Start by prepping all of the necessary supplies. Place the black pepper in a small ramekin, and whisk together the eggs + cheese. Get a pot of salted water over medium high heat + get it cooking.
Place a large Dutch oven or other skillet over medium heat. Add in the pancetta, stirring regularly to ensure it doesn’t burn. After cooking for 5 minutes, crank the heat of the pasta water to high + throw in the pasta once boiling. When the pancetta has finished cooking, take a tablespoon of the drippings and add it in with the pepper. Let it sit.
When the pasta is cooked to al dente, turn off the heat. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Turn the pot with pancetta back to low, strain the noodles, and transfer them to the pot with the pancetta + reserved pasta water. Add the black pepper mixture to the eggs, and whisk. Pour the egg mixture into the noodles, keeping the heat on low. Stir gently + consistently for about 5-6 minutes. The sauce should thicken, and if it hasn’t increase the heat to medium low for just one minute, and then return the heat to low, stirring the entire time.
Use tongs or a large serving fork to twirl the pasta into bowls. Top with a sprinkle of parmesan and enjoy.