Eggs, bacon, and cheese, oh my! After a long shift in the kitchen and a few glasses of wine, carbonara is a chef’s late-night favorite. It’s fast, flavorful, and oh-so-satisfying. The thing is, as much as I love it, carbonara poses a bit of a dichotomy for me because while it involves some of my very favorite ingredients (eggs, bacon, and cheese), it also includes my nemesis: black pepper. The thing is, this is such a classic preparation that black pepper really belongs here—so I use it.
Recipe information
Yield
serves: 4 to 6
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Coat a large skillet with olive oil and bring it to medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to color and become crisp, 6 to 8 minutes; remove from the heat.
Step 2
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 1 minute less than the instructions on the package suggest. Taste it: It should be toothsome with just a little nugget of hard pasta still in the center—this is al dente.
Step 3
While the pasta is cooking, crack the eggs into a large bowl and add the grated Parm and Pecorino; season with salt and whisk vigorously until well combined. Season with black pepper—seriously, this is one place where pepper brings something special to the party!
Step 4
Bring the pan with the pancetta back to medium heat. Drain the pasta, add it to the pan, and coat it with any fat in the skillet. Remove the pan from the heat, add the egg mixture to the pasta, and stir vigorously to combine. Cover and let sit for 1 to 2 minutes so the steam gently cooks the eggs. Uncover and stir again—the egg mixture will seem like a cream sauce. Serve immediately garnished with sliced scallions.
note
Step 5
A great carbonara is all about timing: render the pancetta, cook the pasta, and toss it all together while everything is screaming hot—this will ensure the eggs are cooked ever-so-gently
