Buongiorno, amores. I can’t believe I’ve lived this long and have only just tried spaghetti carbonara. I think it is my new favorite pasta dish (next to red wine pasta)! Traditionally, this Roman dish must contain eggs, hard cheese (like Parmesan or Romano), pepper, and guanciale (cured Italian pork cheek), though pancetta is a perfectly acceptable substitute. For my version, I added peas and leeks because…well, why not? I think they offer a little sweetness in a very salty and savory dish.
Spaghetti Carbonara by Baker’s Theory
Ingredients
1/2 lb dried spaghetti
2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
2/3 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup reserved pasta water
Olive oil, for frying
3 oz pancetta slices
1/2 leek, chopped (the white part only)
1/2 cup fresh peas
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
Serves 4
Instructions
Pour hot water into your serving bowl. This will keep it warm and will help finish the sauce.
Cook spaghetti in a medium pot of boiling, salty water.
While spaghetti is cooking, fry pancetta in a pan with oil until its fat has rendered and it’s browned slightly. Transfer to a plate with paper towels.
In the same frying pan, sautee garlic, leek, and peas until garlic is golden and leek has started to brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, yolks, grated cheese, and black pepper.
Once pasta is done, reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining. Slowly add this cup of pasta water to the egg mixture, whisking constantly until emulsified.
Drain pasta. Dump hot water from serving bowl and transfer pasta into the serving bowl. Pour the egg sauce over it. Spoon the leeks, peas, garlic, and pancetta over it. Toss with tongs to get a solid mix of ingredients. Serve immediately!
*Note: do not add the eggs to any hot pan. It’ll cook them immediately! The hot serving bowl will act as a final heating for the egg sauce.