YAY!!! I finally did it! I finally made Pasta Carbonara!!! The WAY cooler thing about it is...I didn't screw it up!!! WOOO HOOO!!!!
Ok, now that I've calmed down a bit....I have to pat myself on the back, I have been deathly afraid of making this dish in fear that I would scramble the eggs and ruin the dish. Alas, this was an easier recipe then I imagined it to be. I worried for no reason whatsoever!! I deprived myself of this wonderful pasta creation out of a silly fear. I tried something new, I succeeded, I am HAPPY!
If you have never had carbonara, you are missing out. This pasta dish is made with bacon and cream and eggs. Maybe it sounds like a strange combination, but it's heavenly, trust me! The cream and egg combined with the heat of the pasta creates this amazingly, wonderfully creamy sauce. And then of course there's the bacon....mmmmmmm.....what else needs to be said?
Adapted from Food & Wine
Ingredients:
1 pound angel hair pasta (or spaghetti, or penne)
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 slices bacon, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
fresh ground pepper
dash of dried parsley
Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/3 cup of the cooking water.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the egg yolks and cream. In a large, deep skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Do not drain grease. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the pasta to the skillet and cook, over low heat, tossing to coat. SLOWLY (you must have patience or your will have scrambled eggs in your pasta) add the reserved pasta water to the egg yolk mixture. Now, slowly add the mixture to skillet, stirring constantly to coat. You should now have a creamy sauce. Add the parmesan and season with pepper and parsley. Toss to coat one more time, serve immediately! Enjoy!
Carbonara is so good!! Yours looks delicious Jenn! Congrats on overcoming your fears and making the dish! I agree with you, bacon, cream, pasta, what could be better?? :)
ReplyDeleteAh, ain't it satisfying to conquer a fear? It's beautiful! I used to be paranoid about cooking lobster and shrimp. But I've never screwed it up and, now that I've done them both dozens of times, NO MORE FEAR. Congrats.
ReplyDeleteYour carbonara looks great and once you've done it, there's no stopping you now, I'm sure! Way to go!
ReplyDeleteIt looks really good. I want it for breakfast.
ReplyDeleteI looooooove carbonara. Recently ordered it at a restaurant and the sauce was all curdled. Totally disappointing. My boyfriend had never had it and I was so excited to introduce it to him but this was not right. I will have to make your version so he can truly understand how good it is!!
ReplyDeletethis looks MAJOR yummy!!!! -i'm gonna have to give this one a whirl!!!
ReplyDeleteHugs
Erika
http://tiptoebutterfly.blogspot.com/
This looks amazing. Love carbonara!
ReplyDeleteI haven't tried this recipe but have tired a bunch of others. From my experience, I would offer the following:
ReplyDelete- Pancetta over bacon is a must do
- Carbonara is a Roman dish and Romano cheese is Roman, however I too like parmesan so I use both
- Separating the eggs (white and yolk) adding the yolk at the end is the best technique I have come across
- never thought cream was necessary but after experimenting, it does had a dimension
- Fresh pasta, too, is a must
- Pepper in this dish is under utilized - perhaps even using white pepper if pepper isn't your thing
- As with any dish that has few ingredients, the quality of those (few) ingredients will make all the difference
Carbonara is my favorite pasta dish but far, thanks for posting this recipe.
Rob from SW Ohio