Chef Joel & Jenn: Spaghetti Carbonara
Back on Day 13 of our Epic Europe Trip 2014 I had my first ever Spaghetti Carbonara. OK it might not have been my first time (I think it was) but it was by far the most memorable. We had that fantastic dinner at Thats Amore and some of the best pasta I've ever had. I promised Jenn when we got back we would try our hand at some Spaghetti Carbonara and that's exactly what we did last Sunday.
The recipe itself is pretty straightforward. We got some Trader Joes Organic Spaghetti, 2 fresh eggs, a fresh block of parmesan, some bacon (although in Italy they use pancetta) and a lot of garlic. Its not a hard meal to prepare the only thing that both Jenn and I underestimated was how quickly everything comes together. Once you've mixed the egg and parmesan and the pasta is cook you have to be pretty quick in mixing everything as to not make scrambled eggs within the pasta.
Luckily our first go at Spaghetti Carbonara turned out great. It was super rich, and the fresh parmesan was so much better then the dry powdery stuff. It was one of the few new recipes that we've made at home that we both cleaned our plates on. Another great recipe to add to our small but growing lineup.
INGREDIENTS
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan
- 4 slices bacon, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
DIRECTIONS
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions; reserve 1/2 cup water and drain well.
- In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and Parmesan; set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes; reserve excess fat.
- Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in pasta and egg mixture, and gently toss to combine; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add reserved pasta water, one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
- Serve immediately, garnished with parsley, if desired.
