Cook It Up: Bold Moves for Family Foods by Alex Guarnaschelli

Author:Alex Guarnaschelli
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2023-09-05T00:00:00+00:00

CLASSIC CARBONARA

prep time: 10 minutes

cook time: about 15 minutes

yield: 4 to 6 servings

I love the story that this is the pasta that Italian coal miners (aka the carbonara) would eat after a long day’s work—the ground black pepper is actually supposed to look like a dusting of coal from the mines. My mom does not make this dish often, so I wanted to strike out on my own and come up with a simple version that I could make whenever I wanted. For inspiration and guidance, I turned to a cookbook that my grandmother edited—the 1991 edition of Joy of Cooking. (It’s so cool that she’s kind of with me when I cook, even though she’s no longer with us, you know?) The key to the pasta’s rich taste is pancetta—which is really just a rolled-up unsmoked cousin of bacon. The sauce is made largely from the hot and starchy pasta water, with cheese (see this page) and eggs. Keep your focus on integrating them together for the best, creamiest sauce—that’s my advice to you. The approach here is fairly traditional, the way Grandma’s recipe is—actually, it can be almost complex because it’s so simple. Some dishes are like that.

6 ounces pancetta, finely diced

Kosher salt

1 pound spaghetti

2 large eggs, plus 2 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

1 cup finely grated Pecorino cheese

Freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1. COOK THE PANCETTA: Add the pancetta to a large skillet set over medium heat and cook until it’s crispy and browned, 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Use a slotted spoon to remove the pancetta from the fat and set it aside on a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Pour the grease from the skillet into a large serving bowl.

2. COOK THE PASTA: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Season the water with salt (it should taste like mild seawater), add the spaghetti, and cook, stirring with a slotted spoon to make sure the pasta doesn’t clump or stick to the bottom as it cooks, until tender but still chewy, or al dente, 5 to 8 minutes. Set 1 cup of the pasta water aside, then drain the spaghetti in a large colander.

3. SERVE: Add the eggs, egg yolks, and a generous sprinkle of the Pecorino to the bowl with the pancetta grease. Add the hot pasta and use a wooden spoon to mix vigorously so the eggs and cheese coat the pasta. If it’s too thick, loosen the pasta with some of the pasta water. Keep in mind, the pasta will be a little loose, and the sauce will thicken as the pasta cools for a few minutes. Think about this: the hot pasta and the water are mixing with the rich eggs, cooking them and making a sauce all at the same time. Simple, but there’s a lot going on! Season with pepper and the vinegar. Taste for seasoning. Serve topped with a few turns of pepper, the reserved pancetta, and the remaining Pecorino.

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