Rigatoni Carbonara with Peas

Name: Rigatoni Carbonara with Peas
Cuisine: European, Italian, Mediterranean
Ingredients: 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese; 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, finely grated (about 1 cup), plus more to serve; 2 large eggs, plus 2 large egg yolks, beaten; 4 cups warm water, divided; Kosher salt; Ground black pepper; 6 slices bacon cut into ½-inch pieces (about 6 ounces); 4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced; ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes; 12 ounces rigatoni pasta; 1 cup frozen peas, thawed

3 steps

This one-pot meal inspired by Zuni Café’s Judy Rodgers is a refreshing take on classic Italian pasta carbonara. (Rodgers called it her “rogue” version.) Look for a good-quality ricotta cheese without stabilizers. Rodgers used fresh peas, but we call for the more readily available frozen. To streamline the process, we cook the bacon in the same Dutch oven that later is used for the rigatoni. And when the pasta goes in we use a minimal amount of water, which concentrates the starch to help thicken the sauce and also saves the trouble of draining. Parmesan is common in this dish and we include it along with the ricotta. Avoid pre-grated Parmesan; it typically is too coarse and won’t blend well with the sauce. Don’t stop stirring the pasta as the ricotta mixture is added; this prevents it from clumping.

Updated at: Wed, 10 Jul 2024 13:15:42 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Unbalanced

Glycemic Index

Low

Glycemic Load

High

Nutrition per serving

Calories495.2 kcal (25%)

Total Fat22.4 g (32%)

Carbs50 g (19%)

Sugars3.1 g (3%)

Protein22.1 g (44%)

Sodium574.5 mg (29%)

Fiber2.9 g (10%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

6 servings

1 cupwhole-milk ricotta cheese

1 cupParmesan cheese

finely grated, plus more to serve

4 cupswater

6 slicesbacon

cut into 1/2-inch pieces

4garlic cloves

medium, thinly sliced

½ teaspoonred pepper flakes

12 ouncesrigatoni pasta

1 cupfrozen peas

thawed

Instructions

Step 1

In a medium bowl, whisk together the ricotta, Parmesan, eggs and yolks, ¼ cup of the water, and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Set aside.

Step 2

In a large Dutch oven over medium, cook the bacon until just crisp, 7 to 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pot. Stir in the garlic and pepper flakes, then cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the remaining 3¾ cups water and 1½ teaspoons salt and bring to a boil over medium-high. Stir in the pasta, reduce heat to medium and cook, covered and stirring occasionally, until al dente, 10 to 13 minutes.

Step 3

Off heat, stir in the peas and reserved bacon. Let pasta sit for 5 minutes. Stir in the ricotta mixture, tossing to coat the pasta and form a creamy sauce. Taste and season with salt and black pepper.