Carbonara

It's All Easy

Posted by Little, Brown and Company

About

Under 30 minutes
SERVES 4

Carbonara is the perfect lazy dinner—it’s cozy, comforting, and shockingly easy to make. Not to mention the fact that everyone almost always has the ingredients on hand. Keep some cubed bacon or pancetta in the freezer so you can make this anytime, in just minutes.

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You Will Need (7 things)

  • Salt
  • 4 oz Pancetta or bacon, cut into small dice
  • 2 Egg Yolks (or 3, to make it extra creamy)
  • 1 Large Egg
  • 1 ½ cup finely grated Parmesan Cheese , plus more as needed
  • 1 tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper , plus more as needed
  • ¾ lbs Bucatini

Steps (5 steps, 25 minutes)

  1. 1

    Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat for the pasta.

  2. 2

    In an 8-inch sauté pan, cook the pancetta over medium heat until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Combine the egg yolks, egg, Parmesan, and pepper in a large bowl.

  3. 3

    Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the hot pasta cooking water (the temperature is important because you are going to use it to cook the egg) and set aside. Next, drain the pasta, and add it to the bowl with the cheese and eggs, tossing immediately to mix everything together.

  4. 4

    Add the pancetta and any rendered fat from the pan to the bowl, toss to coat, and add the pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time until the sauce reaches a creamy consistency (this usually takes about ¼ cup).

  5. 5

    Adjust with extra cheese, pepper, and salt to taste.