Pasta Carbonara
A match made in heaven is peas and pancetta. My Pasta Carbonara highlights these two ingredients perfectly.
Equipment
- 1 Rondeau pan Deep-sided
- 1 saucepot 6-quart
- 1 chef's knife
- 2 cutting boards 1 meat-safe
- 2 mixing bowls Large
- 1 mixing bowl Small
- 1 food processor 10-cup
- 1 colander-shaped spoon
Ingredients
- 2 16-ounce boxes Gemelli pasta (substitute 1 1/2 boxes (1 1/2 pounds) of spaghetti)
- 1 10-ounce package thawed frozen peas
- 1/4 pound pancetta Diced
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 large clove garlic Finely minced
- 1/4 cup dry white wine (substitute chicken broth, unsalted)
- 4 whole eggs plus 1 yolk
- 2 cups Parmesan cheese Freshly-ground (reserve 1/4 cup back for serving)
- 1 pinch kosher salt to taste (a good handful of kosher salt for pasta water)
- 1 tbsp black pepper Freshly-ground
- 3 tbsps Italian flat-leaf parsley Finely chopped
Instructions
- Place a large saucepot on the stove filled with water over medium-high heat. This will allow you time to prepare the ingredients for the dish while the water comes to a boil.1) Have ready a whole package of thawed frozen peas in a bowl.2) In a large cold sauté pan, add olive oil and diced pancetta. Do not turn the heat on just yet.3) Grind enough Parmesan cheese in a food processor to yield 2 cups. Transfer the grated cheese to a bowl and set aside.In another bowl, crack 4 eggs and 1 egg yolk. Beat them together with 1 tablespoon of fresh-ground black pepper. Measure 1/4 cup of dry white wine (or chicken broth) and have the minced garlic ready. Once all the ingredients are ready, it's time to make the dish.Turn the deep-sided frying pan with the diced pancetta and olive oil to medium heat. Start to render the pancetta for about 7-10 minutes.Add a handful of kosher salt to the pot of boiling water. Add the pasta of your choice, give a stir, and follow the cooking time on the box.Once the pancetta is crispy, transfer it to a plate lined with a paper towel. Drain off all but 3 tablespoons of the pancetta fat in the pan. If you don't think you have that much, you can add a little olive oil.This process goes fairly quickly. Have the pan still on medium heat. Next, add in the minced garlic, diced shallot, and wine. Using a wooden spoon, while shallots and garlic are cooking, for about 3-4 minutes, scrape up all those delicious pancetta bits trapped in the bottom of the pan. Let that liquid bubble up for about a minute until the alcohol has cooked out.Using one of those large colander spoons, transfer the pasta. Next, return the cooked pancetta to the pan. Make sure to coat all pasta with the pancetta fat, wine, and garlic that have remained in the pan. Note: if the pasta seems a little too dry and sticking together, add a little olive oil to loosen it up.At this point, add the crispy pancetta, the peas (the heat will warm the peas through), and the egg mixture. Using a pair of tongs, toss to combine while still over the heat until the eggs start to set. Turn the heat off, but keep the pan on the burner. Immediately add the grated Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Toss those ingredients through, then remove them from the heat.Pasta Carbonara is best served hot. Don't forget about adding more cheese to the top of your dish!There you have it, my Pasta Carbonara.
Notes
1) Reserve 1/4 cup of the grated cheese to top individual servings.
2) 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 the online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.