Pasta alla Carbonara

Pasta with bacon in a rich, creamy egg and parmesan cheese sauce

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Servings people

Ingredients

1 lb (450g) long pasta - spaghetti, fettuccini, linguini or bucatini
4-6 oz (120-160g) bacon - in order of preference: guancale, pancetta or thick cut streaky bacon
4 egg yolks (save the whites for another use)
1 whole egg
3 oz grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese or a mix of both
1 ½ Tsp freshly ground black pepper more or less to taste

Instructions

Put your serving plates in a 150°F (65°C) oven to warm.
Set a colander in a large bowl, in the sink.
Put a large pot of generously salted water on to boil (the water should taste salty, like the ocean)
Cut the guancale or pancetta into 3/8" (10mm) cubes. If you are using regular bacon, cut the rashers crosswise into 3/4" (20mm) pieces. Cook the bacon in a skillet until it has rendered its fat and is cooked through and crispy.
While the bacon cooks, mix together the egg yolks, egg, cheese and pepper in a medium bowl.
When the bacon is done, use a slotted spoon to remove it to a plate and set aside, leaving the bacon fat in the pan.
When the pasta water comes to a vigorous boil cook the pasta to the 'al dente' stage according to the package instructions.
Turn off the fire under the pasta and drain it into the colander, capturing the cooking water in the bowl.
Put the pasta back into the now empty pot and stir in the reserved bacon fat. The fat not only adds flavor, it stops the pasta from clumping together.
Save about 2 cups (0.5L) of the pasta cooking water and discard the rest. (You won't need all of the water but it is better to start with too much than not enough).
Gradually pour about 3/4 cup (180ml) of the pasta water into the egg mixture, stirring to thin it out. This is a process called tempering where the temperature of the eggs is gently raised so they won't scramble when added to the hot pasta.
All the remaining cooking is done by the residual heat from the pot and the hot pasta.
Pour the egg mixture into the pot with the pasta, tossing continuously. Dribble in more of the pasta water and continue to toss until the sauce is rich and creamy. Tossing the eggs in the pasta helps to prevent the eggs on the bottom of the hot pot from scrambling. Don't be shy about adding water, the pasta will soak it up. Too little water and the finished dish will be dry and unpleasant to eat.
Let the pasta sit for a minute or two in the pot, tossing a few times. Adjust the consistency with more water if necessary.
Divide the pasta between the warm serving plates and sprinkle with reserved bacon bits and extra cheese.

Notes

Note, there is no additional salt added. That's because the bacon and cheese are both salty to begin with and the pasta water is also salty.

Feel free to add more fresh ground black pepper if you like. This is a peppery dish but if you have a lower tolerance for the spice, by all means, cut back a little.

It's best to use fresh ground pepper here so you get all the fragrant nuances of the flavor compounds. Pre-ground pepper will have the heat from piperine (the compound that is the source of the heat) but none of the flavor.

Remember, like time and tide, Carbonara waits for no man. Be sure your guests are seated at the table when you serve it up. There is nothing more unappealing than a plate of cold pasta.