Spaghetti Carbonara
I love to make this spaghetti carbonara recipe when I want a “wow” factor on the plate. While the ingredients aren’t really different than in my normal carbonara recipes, for this version, I reserve the yolk of the egg, and serve it nested in the finished spaghetti. Served with that raw yolk on top, my guests can break it, and mix it in with their pasta to form that delicious rich sauce. In this recipe video, I also add some peas, which give a nice flavor and color to the dish. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Recipe Overview and Keys to Success
Spaghetti Carbonara is a simple dish that looks a bit complicated. I love those, because they make me look really good in the kitchen. Watch these few things:
- Please don’t overcook the pasta; it will ruin the dish, as no sauce is going to make overcooked pasta taste good. I start to check the spaghetti a couple minutes before the suggested cook time.
- Reserve some of the pasta water, before draining out the spaghetti. You may not need it, but I sometimes use that extra water if the pasta and sauce is looking too dry. You do have to watch the salt content if you do use it though as pasta water is salted.
- Cook the baconlardonsfirst, and separate from everything else – that way the fat renders out and they get nice and crispy
- Finally, eggs can scramble when added to a hot pan, which is not what we want. So, add them with the heat off, and make sure they land on the pasta, not the pan itself, as the pasta is cooler; mix them in right away.
- Spaghetti pasta – 1/3 pound
- Bacon – 2 slices
- Cream – 3 – 4 tablespoons
- 2 eggs – yolks separated from the whites
- Tablespoon chopped parsley
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 1/4 cup of frozen peas
- Parmesan cheese – 2 – 3 tablespoons grated
- Butter – 2 – 3 tablespoons
- Olive oil – 2 – 3 tablespoons
- Dice the bacon into quarter inch pieces and sauté until crisp
- Separate two eggs; hold the yolks separate from the whites
- Bring a pot of water to the boil and cook the pasta in salted water to an al dente texture
- Once crisp, remove the bacon from the pan, and sauté the garlic in the bacon drippings until just soften
- Add the cream to the pan and bring to a simmer; hold at a simmer until the spaghetti is cooked (you can add some pasta water if needed)
- Add the spaghetti to the simmering cream, along with the peas, the bacon
- Toss to combine, and if needed add a bit more olive oil to prevent sticking
- Once the peas are at temperature (I use frozen); turn the heat to low, and add the egg whites and toss; again if needed add some more pasta water or cream to make sure it not too dry – there needs to be some liquid in the pan to prevent the eggs from scrambling
- Add the chopped parsley, salt and pepper and again toss to combine
- Plate the spaghetti carbonara in a pasta bowl (I like heated bowls), and in the center, create a small nest
- Slide one of the egg yolks into each nest, and serve
- Guests can then break the yolk and toss with the rest of their pasta to make the complete carbonara sauce
Comments (4 )