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Chili Crisp Bucatini

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Bucatini with chili crisp and egg yolk on a plate.
Photo by Heami Lee

As an egg yolk lover, I adore carbonara. The rich yolky sauce that coats the noodles is truly magical! But, whenever I enjoy carbonara, I crave something sharp, spicy, and vinegary to balance the rich sauce. After devouring a rich carbonara dish, I would open my tub of kimchi and eat straight out of the jar, standing in front of my fridge.

But how about incorporating spice into the carbonara sauce? The addition of chili crisp turns the rich yolk sauce a beautiful amber-orange. When you slurp the pasta, it goes from being rich and luscious to peppery and spicy, then sharp and salty thanks to the Parmesan. It’s an endlessly delicious cycle of flavors.

You can substitute bacon instead of pancetta, but pancetta has more distinct porky flavors that make the sauce worthy of devouring. And the egg yolk at the end creates a stunning presentation and a decadent sauce. Feel and taste the joy and excitement of breaking the yolk with this spicy, flavorful, and yolky carbonara.

This recipe was excerpted from 'Chili Crisp' by James Park. Buy the full book on Amazon. We’ve selected this book as one of the best cookbooks of 2023.

What you’ll need

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