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Paulo's Pasta Carbonara
The essence of a "traditional" carbonara is the mix of raw eggs (cooked by the pasta they
coat), cheese melted into the sauce, and bacon, with some garlic added for a tangy contrast.
Over the years, we've tried dozens of recipes built upon this simple theme. None came
close to the one from the Cook's Illustrated folks.
That said about the matter of technique, we still want to offer this alternative, based on
a dinner we had at Paulo's in Georgetown.
| 1/4 c. olive oil |
1/2 pound pancetta, Irish, or turkey bacon, diced in 1/4 inch squares |
| 1/2 c. dry white wine |
3 eggs |
| 1 c. Gorgonzola or Blue cheese, crumbled |
3 large cloves garlic, minced |
| 1 pound spaghetti (or other thin pasta) |
1 T. salt |
| 1 c. fresh sage, chopped |
freshly ground black pepper |
| finely grated Parmesan |
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- Put a heatproof serving bowl an oven set to 200o. Put 4 quarts of water
in a large pot over high heat.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced pancetta and cook until
crisp (about 8 minutes). Add the wine and simmer until the wine is slightly reduced (6-8
minutes). Remove from the heat and cover.
- Beat together the eggs, cheese, and garlic. Set aside.
- When the water comes to a boil, add the pasta and salt. Cook to al dente.
Drain the pasta quickly and transfer it to the heated serving bowl.
- Working quickly, pour the egg mixture over the pasta and toss to coat.
Add the sage and the pancetta mixture and toss again. Serve immediately,
with the pepper and Parmesan on the side.
6-8 servings
Source: The America's Test Kitchen Cookbook
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