The Real Carbonara


I have this friend Eddie.

Eddie and I used to work together through chat and became good friends. He's a cool surfer dude from California who happens to be one of the most inspiring people who have crossed my way lately. I like him because he has no agenda and pushes my buttons all the time, and keeps me hip and going. Yeah, some drama involved, but at the end of the day, if I feel whatever, hell yeah, Eddie is the one I will call (or chat).

Eddie's only problem is, he has never tasted true Carbonara. He loves the one from an Italian NYC restaurant, but Oh mamma, they use cream on it, which makes it an Alfredo with bacon, not the real thing.

Hey Eddie, this 1's 4 u ;)


INGREDIENTS

  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup grated cheese — any combination of Parmigiano Reggiano and/or Romano cheeses
  • 1/2 cup chopped pancetta or good-quality bacon
  • 1 clove garlic, slightly smashed but still in the skin
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 12 ounces spaghetti
  • Fresh ground pepper

PREPARATION

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook al dente.

While it cooks, add olive oil to a large skillet and saute pancetta and garlic on medium heat. Remove garlic from pan.

Drain spaghetti and add to skillet with pancetta. Let it sizzle then remove from heat. Transfer to a bowl.

Beat eggs and 1/2 the cheese in a bowl. Slowly add eggs to spaghetti and stir to coat. Keep stirring. Add rest of the cheese, stir some more.

The heat of the cooked spaghetti will cook the eggs. Season with fresh ground pepper to taste.

Takes about 20 minutes start to finish.

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