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madbakerThis week's Resolution Recipe: Pasta Carbonara.
1 lb spaghetti or fettucini (I used vermicelli, which is my thin noodle of choice. It's hard to find these days. Did vermicelli go out of fashion or something? Angel-hair is not at all the same thing.)
2 Tbsp (unsalted) butter
1/4 lb guanciale, cut into 1/4" lardons (I used house-cured)
1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (I used about 1/2 tsp, but they were quite hot and the full amount would have been too much)
3 eggses
2 cups Parmesan, grated
pepper
Cook the pasta in a generous amount of salted water. Meanwhile, brown the butter, and set it aside to cool for a few minutes (you want it to be hot enough to melt the cheese, but not to scramble the eggses). Meanwhile, cook the guanciale with the red pepper flakes, Drain excessive grease off, but don't hesitate to leave a little for flavor.
Mix the eggses and 1 cup cheese together and add to the browned butter, stirring rapidly to avoid scrambling the eggses while creating a creamy sauce. Combine the cooked pasta with the egg mixture, then add the guanciale and pepper flakes and the remaining cheese. Grind some black pepper and mix well until all the cheese is incorporated. (A bit of the reserved pasta water helps form a creamy sauce.)
What worked: Yum. Easy. Not quite as rich as the traditional version that uses only egg yolks. I added three cloves of slivered garlic into the butter, which added a bit of flavor.
What didn't: Yeah, this is still heart attack on a plate. Green onions would have been nice for color and texture contrast.
Will I make it again? It's a good homeowners' meeting dinner. It'd also be a good thing to keep in mind as an emergency dinner.
1 lb spaghetti or fettucini (I used vermicelli, which is my thin noodle of choice. It's hard to find these days. Did vermicelli go out of fashion or something? Angel-hair is not at all the same thing.)
2 Tbsp (unsalted) butter
1/4 lb guanciale, cut into 1/4" lardons (I used house-cured)
1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (I used about 1/2 tsp, but they were quite hot and the full amount would have been too much)
3 eggses
2 cups Parmesan, grated
pepper
Cook the pasta in a generous amount of salted water. Meanwhile, brown the butter, and set it aside to cool for a few minutes (you want it to be hot enough to melt the cheese, but not to scramble the eggses). Meanwhile, cook the guanciale with the red pepper flakes, Drain excessive grease off, but don't hesitate to leave a little for flavor.
Mix the eggses and 1 cup cheese together and add to the browned butter, stirring rapidly to avoid scrambling the eggses while creating a creamy sauce. Combine the cooked pasta with the egg mixture, then add the guanciale and pepper flakes and the remaining cheese. Grind some black pepper and mix well until all the cheese is incorporated. (A bit of the reserved pasta water helps form a creamy sauce.)
What worked: Yum. Easy. Not quite as rich as the traditional version that uses only egg yolks. I added three cloves of slivered garlic into the butter, which added a bit of flavor.
What didn't: Yeah, this is still heart attack on a plate. Green onions would have been nice for color and texture contrast.
Will I make it again? It's a good homeowners' meeting dinner. It'd also be a good thing to keep in mind as an emergency dinner.
