bucatini carbonara

The very first thing I ever learned how to cook, was carbonara. But, let me tell you something. I learned wrong. Apparently, according to the Italians, there's no need for heavy cream, parsley, butter blah blah blah. You only need a few integral ingredients. Alas this will be informational as I have information to share... I'll explain:

WHAT YOU NEED:

  • Pecorino & parmesan cheese (don’t feel bad about splurging on the cheese – it’s one of the most important parts)

  • 3 egg yolks

  • Guanciale (pork jowl) — Now, this is different than bacon. Traditional Roman carbonara uses pork cheek fat because it has a higher concentration of that good rich fat that melts slowly as it cooks. The rendered fat combined with the starchy pasta water plus the egg+cheese mixture creates a blissfully glossy and creamy sauce without needing any bs cream or butter. Bacon also has a smokey flavor that can overpower the egg and cheese emulsion which, in my experience, turns the dish into something closer to scrambly bacon and eggs which is not what we want. Alas, we learn.

  • Pasta (you can use any kind you like! I used bucatini, it’s a slightly thicker spaghetti with a hole through the center)

  • Salt + freshly cracked black pepper

How to make it:

  • Grate about 1 cup pecorino and ½ cup parmesan.

  • Separate the yolks from the whites of your eggs and combine the 3 egg yolks with your grated cheese.

  • Cook the guanciale in a large skillet over medium heat. (You’ll use this pan for all of your pasta later so make sure it’s big enough) Once the fat has rendered and the pieces are golden and crisp, remove the guanciale and set aside, leaving the rest of fat in the pan.

  • Cook pasta to al dente and set aside. (Save about 3 big ole ladles worth of pasta water)

  • In the same pan you cooked the guanciale in, add black pepper in pan and toast on medium heat for about a minute. Then, add 3 ladles of pasta water to deglaze.

  • Turn the heat down to medium-low and add your cooked pasta and pork back in. (Save some guanciale if you want to top your dish with it!) Toss for about 1-2 minutes – you’re making the base for your sauce right now before adding your cheese+egg mixture in. Once tossed, remove from heat.

**Move the pan completely off the burner before adding the cheese+egg mixture. The residual heat from the pasta and skillet is enough to emulsify everything. If the pan is too hot, the eggs can scramble and you'll end up with carbonara that looks like scrambled eggs instead of a nice smooth sauce.

  • Off the heat, add ⅓ of the cheese mixture into the skillet and toss, add ⅓ more then ⅓ more.

  • Serve and top with some more cheese, black pepper and some guanciale.