November 18th, 2024
Recipes
Pasta Carbonara
Valentina P
- Difficulty
•
- Time 20"
It's easier than you think to make creamy, velvety carbonara pasta. The sauce takes only 2-ingredients: egg and parmesan cheese. Whisk it together, and then toss it with warm pasta until every strand is coated. The important thing to keep in mind here, is the heat. Stir the noodles with the sauce away from direct heat. The residual heat of the pasta is enough to gently cook the eggs, without scrambling them. The peas are optional, but I'm a fan.
How To MakeDiet Type: Classic
Shopping List
- 1/2 pound dry spaghetti
- 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated (plus more for serving)
- 1/2 cup reserved starchy pasta water
- 2 ounces pancetta or bacon, diced or sliced into small strips
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup frozen peas (optional)
- salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Step 1: Beat the eggs and Parmesan together in a mixing bowl, stirring well to prevent lumps. Set aside.
- Step 2: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, add the spaghetti and then immediately prepare the sauce (outlined in the next steps). It is very important to prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking so that the cooked spaghetti will still be hot when added to the sauce. The residual heat of the pasta will cook the raw eggs. Cook the spaghetti for 8 for 10 minutes, or until it is al dente (firm and not mushy). Before draining, use a mug to collect the required amount of starchy liquid.
- Step 3: While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the pancetta/bacon and cook until the bacon is crisp on both sides, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and optional peas and cook for 30 seconds, to soften.
- Step 4: The pasta should be ready to drain now. Give it a taste. If it is al dente, reserve some of the pasta water and drain it. If it is not ready, remove the pan with the cooked bacon away from the heat until the pasta is ready.
- Step 5: Add the hot, drained spaghetti to the pan with the bacon and optional peas. Toss it together for 1 minute over medium heat.
- Step 6: Remove the pan from the heat and immediately pour in the egg/cheese mixture. Keep stirring the pasta quickly, thickening the eggs and letting the cheese melt. Add a little of the reserved pasta water, a small splash at a time, until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. I tend to use around 1/4 cup, depending on the pasta brand.
- Step 7: Season the carbonara with a generous amount of black pepper. Taste and adjust as needed for salt.
- Serve: Pile the spaghetti carbonara onto your plate and add a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of extra parmesan on top. Enjoy.
Recipe Notes
Sneak some extra veggies in here but adding a handful of raw zucchini noodles to the warm cooked pasta, before adding the egg blend.
Nutrition
It's easier than you think to make creamy, velvety carbonara pasta. The sauce takes only 2-ingredients: egg and parmesan cheese. Whisk it together, and then toss it with warm zucchini noodles until every strand is coated. The important thing to keep in mind here, is the heat. Stir the noodles with the sauce away from direct heat. The residual heat of the pasta is enough to gently cook the eggs, without scrambling them.
How To MakeDiet Type: Low-carb
Shopping List
- 4 large zucchini or 3 servings hearts of palm noodles
- 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated (plus more for serving)
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 ounces pancetta or bacon, diced or sliced into small strips
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Step 1: Beat the eggs and Parmesan together in a mixing bowl, stirring well to prevent lumps. Set aside.
- Step 2: If using the zucchini, use a spiralizer or a standard vegetable peeler to make the zucchini noodles. To use a vegetable peeler, cut off the top stems and peel the zucchini lengthwise. It should make fettuccine-style thin noodles. Continue peeling the zucchini, rotating it to different sides as you do so. Once you reach the center, it will be too wet to peel. Chop these inner core pieces and set them alongside with the zucchini ribbons.
- Step 3: Heat the olive oil in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the pancetta/bacon and cook until the bacon is crisp on both sides, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, to soften.
- Step 4: Add the big pile of zucchini or palm noodles to the pan. Sauté the noodles with the garlic and bacon for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it softens slightly.
- Step 5: Remove the pan with the hot noodles from the heat and immediately pour in the egg/cheese mixture. Keep stirring the pasta quickly, thickening the eggs and letting the cheese melt. Add a little splash of the water, one tablespoon at a time, until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. I tend to use around 3 tablespoons, depending on the pasta type.
- Step 6: Season the carbonara with a generous amount of black pepper. Taste and adjust as needed for salt.
- Serve: Pile the spaghetti carbonara onto your plate and add a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of extra parmesan on top. Enjoy.
Nutrition
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What you should eat next
Pasta Carbonara
PT20M 1/2 pound dry spaghetti 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated (plus more for serving) 1/2 cup reserved starchy pasta water 2 ounces pancetta or bacon, diced or sliced into small strips 2 large eggs 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1/2 cup frozen peas (optional) salt and black pepper, to taste Gluten Free Low-Carb 3 Servings
Ingredients:
