Pasta Carbonara

Name: Pasta Carbonara
Cuisine: European, Italian, Mediterranean
Ingredients: 2 1/4 tsp salt; 10 oz/280 g fresh linguine; 2 large eggs, beaten; Freshly ground black pepper; 1 tbsp olive oil; 4 slices bacon, chopped; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1/2 cup/55 g freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese; 2 tsp minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

6 steps

Classic pasta carbonara is rich, smoky, salty, and cheesy-the epitome of comfort food. What makes this dish a classic is the egg-centric sauce that thickens just enough when tossed with the hot pasta, crispy bacon, and nutty Parmesan. Though pasta carbonara isn't exactly health food I believe that everyone could use a heaping helping of carbohydrate comfort on a regular basis. You can decide whether you need it monthly, weekly, or daily. I'm not here to judge! it's that easy: Good cheese is a real shortcut to the best flavor, but that almost always means you must buy a chunk and grate it yourself. Look for individually wrapped chunks in the gourmet cheese bin section at your grocery or visit your local cheese monger for Parmigiano Reggiano, the king of Parmesans. Authentic Parmigiano Reggiano has a dot matrix design on the rind. Look for a chunk with only one side of the rind (that hard inedible outer covering) attached for the best bang for your buck. extra hungry? An escarole salad tossed with a peeled and diced navel orange, a splash of white wine vinegar, and a glug of olive oil is all you need. variation: This classic recipe of pasta, eggs, smoked pork, and cheese is extremely versatile, so once you've mastered this dish, go ahead and get creative. Try adding other ingredients like roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, or peas. You can also swap in different cheeses, such as Gorgonzola, or pasta styles such as fresh cavatelli. in the glass: I like to drink Italian wine with Italian food, and this classic pasta would taste great with a medium-bodied Chianti. Look for the term "Riserva" on the label, as it generally denotes a higher quality. tip: Pasta has a tendency to cool off quickly when piled onto a cold plate, so it's really important that the dinner plates are hot when you serve this dish. Heat them in the microwave for a minute and a half right before serving.

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 03:37:21 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Unbalanced

Glycemic Index

Low

Glycemic Load

High

Nutrition per serving

Calories873.7 kcal (44%)

Total Fat41.5 g (59%)

Carbs79.3 g (30%)

Sugars0.3 g (0%)

Protein43.3 g (87%)

Sodium3770.1 mg (189%)

Fiber0.2 g (1%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

2 servings

2 ¼ tspsalt

280gfresh linguine

2eggs

large, beaten

freshly ground black pepper

1 Tbspolive oil

½ cupParmesan cheese

freshly grated, or Pecorino Romano

2 tspfresh flat-leaf parsley

minced

Instructions

Step 1

1. Fill a 12-in/30.5-cm skillet with water up to about i in/2.5 cm from the top. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Add 2 tsp of the salt and toss in the linguine. Stir gently once or twice so the noodles don't stick.

Step 2

2. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the eggs, remaining 1/4 tsp salt, and a few grinds of pepper. Set aside.

Step 3

3. Cook the pasta for about 2 minutes, or 1 minute less than directed on the package. It's important that the pasta isn't completely cooked at this point. (To check, fish out a strand and bite into it. It should still be chewy, but not tough.) Don't worry, the pasta will finish cooking in the sauce. Scoop out about 1/4 cup/60 ml of the pasta-cooking water and whisk about 2 tbsp into the egg mixture. Set the rest of the pasta water aside. Drain the pasta in a colander set in the sink and run just enough cold water over it to stop the cooking. It should still be hot.

Step 4

4. Put the empty skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil and chopped bacon. Cook the bacon, stirring often, until crispy, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to the egg mixture and remove the pan from the heat.

Step 5

5. Add the garlic to the pan and cook it in the hot bacon fat, off the heat, until fragrant, about 20 seconds. It should sizzle. Return the drained pasta to the pan and toss it in the hot bacon fat for about 1 minute to reheat it. Quickly pour in the egg mixture and all but about 2 tbsp of the cheese and toss to blend the ingredients thoroughly. The egg mixture should thicken into a sauce. Add more of the reserved pasta water if it seems dry. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Step 6

6. Heap the pasta onto warmed plates. Garnish with the reserved cheese and the parsley and serve hot.