Alexandra Hill

pasta carbonara

Alexandra Hill
pasta carbonara
 
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Today is all about carbonara. A pasta dish that I love - one that I read about in another newsletter, watched cooking shows on and a recipe that I’ve tried and FAILED multiple times. From having too much egg to too much water, to not enough salt but THIS one is perfect and it’s made for one - you! Not for you and the boo or you and your roommate, just you. 

Here’s why. 

It was a regular Saturday. I got up, made my morning coffee and had to do some adulting, i.e. clean the bathroom, the kitchen + mop and after all of this I wanted some carbonara! I always buy pancetta because it’s perfect to have for different dishes and the most important one...carbonara! It was sooooo comforting having a glass of wine, sitting Indian style on my couch eating this, really made my day lol so I hope it makes yours too. 

It’s actually not as hard as you think! I know, everyone says that but I am going to break it down for you below and I promise, you will NOT SCRAMBLE YOUR EGGS! You will have a creamy, cheesy, bacon-y and pepper-y sauce that you will love!

Try it below! 

Carbonara For One 

Ingredients 

  • 1 egg 

  • 1 egg yolk

  • Note: to get just the yolk, crack the egg shell into two pieces & carefully transfer the egg yolk from one cracked egg shell to the other until the egg white falls through into another bowl OR put the whole egg in your hand and carefully transfer the yolk back and forth until the egg white falls through your hands

  • 2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced 

  • ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese 

  • ½ cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese 

  • ½ cup diced pancetta 

  • Fresh cracked black pepper (lots of it)

  • Salt, to taste 

  • 1 handful of dried spaghetti (yes, just one handful. That’s enough for one person)

  • About a tablespoon of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

  • ½ cup reserved pasta water (we will get to that part)

Directions 


ALL THE VISUAL STEPS HERE SO YOU CAN SEE!

This is a multitasking dish but be calm, you got this. 

  • Alright so, while you are grating your parmesan, pecorino cheese & thinly slicing your garlic you want to start boiling your water. This is what I’m talking about with multitasking because by the time you drop your noodles into the boiling water you want to start frying your pancetta. 

    But first the egg & cheese situation to make this carbonara. 

  • In the same bowl with the grated parm & pecorino cheese, add 1 egg yolk & 1 egg. Whisk to combine. Set the bowl aside, you don’t need it yet.

  • Once your water is boiling add some salt into the water. I always say about a teaspoon (not too much salt because the cheese is salty) and then add your noodles. Let them cook according to box instructions for al dente. I always, always stir the noodles around to break them up and make sure they are not sticking together. Feel free to put a timer on, after 6 minutes or so pull one noodle out and taste it. Does it still have some bite to it? Is it getting close to being done? I always taste my noodles throughout the cooking process. 

    Ok, back to multitasking…

  • As your noodles are boiling, get a wide saute pan out and on medium heat add about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Let it heat up (once the oil starts dancing & glistening it is ready). Add the diced pancetta and let it cook for about 5-7 minutes. The pancetta will start to brown. After about 4 minutes, add the sliced garlic. You don’t want to add them too early because the garlic will burn so after the pancetta is almost done cooking add the garlic. What you are doing is basically making bacon fat goodness. The pancetta’s fat & garlic is cooking off and fusing together...can you smell it!? 

    Ok, so your noodles are almost ready - YASSS! 

  • Back to the pancetta & garlic situation. Add a little salt and a good amount of turns of fresh cracked black pepper. Stir to combine.

  • Turn off the heat so you're not overcooking the bacon or the garlic and you don’t want the bacon fat/oil too hot to when the egg mixture hits the pan it won’t scramble.

  • Alright, your noodles are READY and don’t you dare drain the noodles because that starchy pasta water is LIQUID GOLD! That pasta water is going to help you make a delicious sauce because the starch helps the sauce stick to your pasta!

  • Scoop out about a ½ cup of pasta water and put the cup down next to the egg & cheese mixture. We will come back to that. 

  • The heat should be off from the bacon fat pan. With a tong and not caring about getting water everywhere, drag the noodles directly from the water into the pan with the bacon fat goodness. Toss all noodles into the bacon & garlic fat so it’s all covered! 

  • Ok, back to the egg & cheese mixture. You’re going to temper the eggs AKA whisking a little of the hot pasta water to the eggs, introducing them to heat and telling them “you are not turning into scrambled eggs but a sauce” lol. 

  • So once your eggs are tempered, bring over the pan of noodles that has been tossed in the bacon fat goodness. You're going to pour the egg & cheese mixture on top of the noodles and with your tongs stir vigorously to combine the egg & cheese into the bacon fat noodles. You are basically stirring like a semi crazy person to make a sauce. If you feel like your sauce is too thick, add a little more of the pasta water to loosen it up. 

  • Immediately serve into a big bowl with more freshly grated pecorino romano cheese and a couple of more rounds of fresh cracked black pepper.

    ENJOY!