How to Make Pasta Carbonara

Pasta alla carbonara means "coal worker's style pasta" in Italian. The dish contains pasta -- commonly spaghetti -- tossed with bacon, eggs, cheese and black pepper. The history of carbonara is uncertain, but one theory is that the dish got its name because coal workers frequently ate it, or because the black pepper in the pasta looks like coal flakes. Regardless of its origins, pasta carbonara remains popular in Italy today, and is not too complicated for home cooks to make.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• 1 lb. spaghetti, penne or other pasta that is easily tossed
• 1/2 lb. pancetta or lean (center cut) bacon
• 2 peeled, whole garlic cloves
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, pecorino cheese or a combination
• 1 tsp. coarse grind black pepper
• Salt, to taste
• Large pot
• Water
• Colander
• Knife
• Cutting board
• Heavy saucepan
• Spoon

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the pasta. While preparing the rest of the ingredients, cook the pasta until it is al dente, or cooked but still slightly firm. Drain the pasta in a colander when it is finished, but do not rinse. Reserve some of the pasta cooking water.

2. Cut the pancetta or bacon into lardons, or thin strips. Cook the lardons, along with the garlic cloves, in a heavy pan over medium heat until they are almost crispy and the fat has rendered out. Remove the pan from the heat and remove the garlic cloves.

3. Beat the eggs and cheese together. Add the hot pasta to the pan with the lardons and stir in the egg and cheese mixture, the pepper and salt to taste. Toss the pasta well, adding some of the reserved pasta cooking water if the sauce is too thick.

4. Serve the pasta carbonara immediately, with extra cheese.

Tips & Warnings

• Pancetta is an unsmoked Italian bacon made from pork belly. You can find it in a butcher or specialty shop.

• Cooking the whole garlic cloves with the pancetta or bacon imparts a slight garlic flavor without chunks of garlic in your pasta. If you prefer, use 1 or 2 tsp. crushed or minced garlic.

• For a lower-cholesterol version of pasta carbonara, replace one of the eggs with 1/2 cup half-and-half.

• Never rinse your pasta. Rinsing removes the starch on the outside of the pasta. Without this coating, the sauce will not adhere well and your final dish will be runny.

References

• CliffordAWright.com; History of Spaghetti Carbonara; Clifford A. Wright
• CliffordAWright.com; Spaghetti Carbonara; Clifford A. Wright; October 2008
• Towson University; Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe; Matt Schlossberg; April 2009
• Baltimore International College School of Culinary Arts: Classic Spaghetti Carbonara
• CookThink: What are Lardons?
• O Chef: What is Pancetta?