I have yet to find an Italian restaurant in America that can make carbonara as good as I have had in Italy. It’s common for restaurants to use cream and that is a cardinal sin in my book. I much rather have this dish at home where it’s done correctly! This is a very simple recipe to make yourself without cream and it requires just a few ingredients. I like to use bucatini but rigatoni is also a great pasta shape for carbonara. If you can’t get pancetta or guanciale at your local grocery store, bacon is a good substitute. This dish only takes about 15 minutes to make which is perfect if you’re hungry! Once you get this down, you will want to make it all the time! I recommend pairing carbonara with a Pinot Grigio or Prosecco.
Ingredients:
- 200 g bucatini
- 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano + more for garnish
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup pancetta or guanciale, sliced into matchsticks
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Process:
- In a pot of salted, boiling water, cook bucatini until just before al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining.
- Meanwhile, in a pan, cook pancetta until crispy.
- In a bowl, beat egg yolks and mix in the cheese and black pepper to taste. Set aside.
- When the pasta is cooked, transfer it to the pan that was used for the pancetta with a splash of the reserved pasta water. Note: Ideally, the pan used to cook the pancetta should still be warm. If not, warm up the pan slightly and then remove from heat. You do not want the eggs to cook. Add the garlic, the egg mixture, and stir or toss to combine and emulsify the sauce. Note: Remember, no heat, no flame!
- Garnish with more cheese and black pepper. Serve with Prosecco or Pinot Grigio.
