Name: Fresh Cavatelli with Eggs & Bacon
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients: 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta pot; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons butter; 8 ounces slab or thick-cut bacon, cut in 1/2-inch pieces; 5 large eggs; 1 batch (1 1/2 pounds) fresh cavatelli or 1 pound dried pasta; 2 cups shredded Fontina Val d'Aosta; A large pasta-cooking pot; A heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet or sauté pan, 12-inch diameter or larger

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Photo by Chelsea Kyle

Cavatelli 'ncatenati

In times past in poor regions like Molise, when meat was scarce, eggs were an available and affordable source of protein. A dish of pasta dressed with eggs combined the nutrients of two staple foods for a meal that was naturally nutritious and sustaining. I love these pastas sauced withe eggs, and tasty versions can be found all over Italy, especially in Abruzzo, Molise, and Lazio (Rome), where the most famous dish of this type, spaghetti alla carbonara, originated. This Molisano version is particularly appealing, with cavatelli, scrambled eggs, and bacon, and with grated Fontina Val d'Aosta tossed in at the end—a bit out of region, but absolutely delicious here. In Molise they would use grated pecorino, of course, and it is lovely that way, too.

Recipe notes

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