Pasta alla Carbonara

By Kath Dedon

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Pasta alla Carbonara is an easy dinner that can be ready in just a few minutes, and you may already have everything you need to make it!

The other night it was 6:00, and I suddenly wondered, “What’s for dinner?” Taking a quick inventory of what was on hand,  I decided I could make Linguine alla Carbonara.

Pasta alla Carbonara is normally made with guanciale or pancetta. I had bacon, so you might call this Italian-American Pasta alla Carbonara. It may not have been authentic, but it was quite tasty.

I checked out Frank Fariello’s Memorie di Angelina blog  about “la carbonara” (after I had already made mine) and learned that linguine is not typically used for this dish. Linguine, he said, is from Campania and Carbonara is from Lazio; apparently, the cuisines of these two regions are quite different.

Spaghetti is the pasta that is usually used; I had linguine in my pantry so that was my pasta of choice.

So using what I had,  I made a quick Linguine alla Carbonara for dinner.

Molto buona!

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Pasta alla Carbonara

(adapted from a recipe in How to Cook Everything, by Mark Bittman)

(print the recipe)

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Serves 2 (doubles easily)

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2 ounces chopped bacon (use guanciale or pancetta if you can get them)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 egg

1/3 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese (plus more for serving, if desired)

½ pound pasta (spaghetti is typically used)

Freshly ground black pepper

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1. Bring a large pot of water on to boil.

2. Put the oil in a large skillet; add the bacon and the garlic. Cook, stirring, over medium-low heat until the garlic is golden. Remove the garlic clove. Continue cooking the bacon until it is done, but not crisp. Take the pan off of the heat.

3. When the water is boiling, add 2 tablespoons salt and the pasta. Cook according to package directions.

4. While the pasta cooks, beat the egg in a large bowl.

5. Add the cheese to the egg, and grind a generous amount of black pepper in the bowl.

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6. When the pasta is done, reserve a bit of the pasta water, and then thoroughly drain the pasta.

7. Quickly toss the pasta with the egg and cheese in the bowl. The heat of the pasta will cook the egg. Continue tossing until the pasta is well coated.

8. Add the reserved bacon and drippings and toss again. (If the pasta seems a bit dry at this point, toss in a bit of the reserved pasta water.) Serve immediately with extra cheese, if desired.