Carbonara Recipe Lidia Bastianich Recipes

THE BEST CARBONARA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
• Whisk together the eggs, yolks, Parmesan, Pecorino, pepper and butter if using in a large bowl until well combined.
• Add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain the pasta.
• Meanwhile, cook the pancetta in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Add the spaghetti and half the reserved pasta cooking water to the skillet and toss to combine.
• Add the egg mixture and toss to coat. Cook, tossing continuously to avoid scrambling the eggs, until the sauce is creamy, thinning it with the remaining pasta water if it becomes too thick (it should be saucy but not watery), about 1 minute.
• Divide the pasta among plates and sprinkle with more grated Parmesan.

SPAGHETTI ALLA CARBONARA (SPAGHETTI WITH BACON, EGGS AND GRATED CHEESE)

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
• Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until the fat has mostly rendered, about 4 to 5 minutes. Push the bacon to one side of the pan, and add the onion. Let both cook separately until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes, then mix the two together. Ladle 4 cups of pasta water into the skillet with the bacon and onion, bring to a rapid boil, and quickly reduce the sauce.
• While the sauce is reducing, add the spaghetti to the boiling water. Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk the egg yolks with 1/2 cup of hot pasta water. When the sauce has reduced by about half and the spaghetti is al dente, use tongs to scoop the pasta into the sauce. Add the pepper and salt to taste. Toss the pasta until it is coated in the sauce. Remove the pan from the heat, and quickly mix in the egg yolks, stirring until creamy. Toss the pasta with the grated cheese, and serve immediately.