Eggs and bacon mixed with pasta dates back many years. At least that’s what I’ve been told. Making Pasta Carbonara into a casserole is even better! This is my Pasta Carbonara Soufflé.

Let’s get started.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 48 to 50 minutes
Total Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Yields: 8 servings
Equipment: 1 (3-quart) baking dish (15″ x  9 1/2″ x  2 1/2 “high), 1 (6-quart) saucepot, 1 (3-quart) saucepot, colander, 1 (10-inch) sauté pan, large mixing bowl, hand-held electric mixer, Microplane, chef’s knife, cutting board, rubber spatula

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon of olive oil
1/4 pound of pancetta, diced
1 pound (1 box) of Barilla Cellentani (corkscrew pasta), slightly undercooked, rinsed, and cooled (substitute gluten-free pasta)
3 cups of whole milk, room temperature (substitute 2%)
1 cup of half-and-half, room temperature
1 stick (8 tablespoons) of butter, unsalted, reserve 3 tablespoons for the top (extra for greasing the baking dish)
1/2 cup of all-purpose flour (substitute gluten-free flour)
5 ounces of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly-grated (reserve 1/4 cup for topping)
4 egg whites, beaten to soft peaks
1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, freshly-grated
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper, freshly-ground
1/4 cup of Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 (8-ounce) package of the ‘Italian blend’ shredded cheese
Garnish:
2 tablespoons of Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
First, butter the bottom and sides of the baking dish.

Start with a small cold sauté pan, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil, and diced pancetta. Cook over medium heat, allowing all the fat to render out and the pancetta to become crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain any extra grease. Set aside.

Place 4 egg whites in a clean glass bowl. I’m looking for them to be nice and frothy. With the mixer on low, beat the whites until they are frothy but not quite to soft peaks. At this point, add the cream of tartar. Continue beating the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.

In a large pot over medium heat, melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Once the butter has melted, add the flour (optional, gluten-free flour). Continuously whisk until the raw flour is cooked out, turning blonde in color and paste-like, forming a *roux.

In a 3-quart saucepot, bring milk and half-and-half (*scald) up to temperature. Pour the hot milk mixture into the *roux all at once. Add 1 teaspoon each of kosher salt, freshly-ground black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground nutmeg. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking for 3-5 minutes, until thick. Double-check the thickness by dipping a wooden spoon into the sauce. Take your finger and make a line down the back of the spoon, if the sauce stays separated and doesn’t run together. Turn the heat off.

Remove the pot from the heat, then add the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and finely chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley. Switch to a spatula, and stir to combine. Next, gently *fold in the egg whites.

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta for about 8 minutes, until just shy of al dente, according to the package instructions. The pasta will finish cooking during baking.

Drain the pasta into a large colander. Rinse the pasta under cold water for a minute to stop the cooking process before adding it to the casserole dish. Once the pasta is somewhat cooled, it’s time to put this together.

To assemble, add half the cooled pasta, and then half of the cheesy soufflé sauce. On top of that, sprinkle half of the cooked Pancetta. Repeat this process one more time. Now for the topping, add the finely shredded Italian cheese blend, and a little more of the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. *Dot the top all over with butter. Bake for 25-30 minutes until brown and bubbly. Do not open the oven for the first 20 minutes. You want the dish to rise beautifully as a soufflé should.

Allow the dish to rest for 15-20 minutes to set.

There you have it, my Pasta Carbonara Soufflé.

Notes:
1) *Dot is to place little pieces of butter on the top of a casserole dish or pie.

2) *Fold or folding is a very precise term in cooking and baking. It means that you have to carefully combine two mixtures of different thicknesses and weights into one (relatively) smooth mixture. This specific technique is accomplished by using a spatula to lift the two mixtures together, so they combine.

3) *Roux is a mixture of fat (especially butter) and flour used in making sauces.

4) *Scald is milk heated to a near boil. Small bubbles will appear around the inner rim of the pot.

5) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through a preferred online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.

https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/07/10/summer-time-flowers-and-herbs/

https://lindalouhamel.com/2016/05/02/pasta-carbonara/