Classic Carbonara With Pancetta Recipes

GENNARO'S CLASSIC SPAGHETTI CARBONARA

Steps:

• Put the egg yolks into a bowl, finely grate in the Parmesan, season with pepper, then mix well with a fork and put to one side.
• Cut any hard skin off the pancetta and set aside, then chop the meat.
• Cook the spaghetti in a large pan of boiling salted water until al dente.
• Meanwhile, rub the pancetta skin, if you have any, all over the base of a medium frying pan (this will add fantastic flavour, or use 1 tablespoon of oil instead), then place over a medium-high heat.
• Peel the garlic, then crush with the palm of your hand, add it to the pan and leave it to flavour the fat for 1 minute. Stir in the pancetta, then cook for 4 minutes, or until it starts to crisp up.
• Pick out and discard the garlic from the pan, then, reserving some of the cooking water, drain and add the spaghetti. Toss well over the heat so it really soaks up all that lovely flavour, then remove the pan from the heat.
• Add a splash of the cooking water and toss well, season with pepper, then pour in the egg mixture - the pan will help to cook the egg gently, rather than scrambling it. Toss well, adding more cooking water until it's lovely and glossy.
• Serve with a grating of Parmesan and an extra twist of pepper.

SPAGHETTI ALLA CARBONARA

Steps:

• Prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking to ensure that the spaghetti will be hot and ready when the sauce is finished; it is very important that the pasta is hot when adding the egg mixture, so that the heat of the pasta cooks the raw eggs in the sauce.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender yet firm (as they say in Italian "al dente.") Drain the pasta well, reserving 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water to use in the sauce if you wish.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium flame. Add the pancetta and saute for about 3 minutes, until the bacon is crisp and the fat is rendered. Toss the garlic into the fat and saute for less than 1 minute to soften.
• Add the hot, drained spaghetti to the pan and toss for 2 minutes to coat the strands in the bacon fat. Beat the eggs and Parmesan together in a mixing bowl, stirring well to prevent lumps. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the egg/cheese mixture into the pasta, whisking quickly until the eggs thicken, but do not scramble (this is done off the heat to ensure this does not happen.) Thin out the sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water, until it reaches desired consistency. Season the carbonara with several turns of freshly ground black pepper and taste for salt. Mound the spaghetti carbonara into warm serving bowls and garnish with chopped parsley. Pass more cheese around the table.

ULTIMATE SPAGHETTI CARBONARA RECIPE

Steps:

• Put a large saucepan of water on to boil.
• Finely chop the 100g pancetta, having first removed any rind. Finely grate 50g pecorino cheese and 50g parmesan and mix them together.
• Beat the 3 large eggs in a medium bowl and season with a little freshly grated black pepper. Set everything aside.
• Add 1 tsp salt to the boiling water, add 350g spaghetti and when the water comes back to the boil, cook at a constant simmer, covered, for 10 minutes or until al dente (just cooked).
• Squash 2 peeled plump garlic cloves with the blade of a knife, just to bruise it.
• While the spaghetti is cooking, fry the pancetta with the garlic. Drop 50g unsalted butter into a large frying pan or wok and, as soon as the butter has melted, tip in the pancetta and garlic.
• Leave to cook on a medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the pancetta is golden and crisp. The garlic has now imparted its flavour, so take it out with a slotted spoon and discard.
• Keep the heat under the pancetta on low. When the pasta is ready, lift it from the water with a pasta fork or tongs and put it in the frying pan with the pancetta. Don't worry if a little water drops in the pan as well (you want this to happen) and don't throw the pasta water away yet.
• Mix most of the cheese in with the eggs, keeping a small handful back for sprinkling over later.
• Take the pan of spaghetti and pancetta off the heat. Now quickly pour in the eggs and cheese. Using the tongs or a long fork, lift up the spaghetti so it mixes easily with the egg mixture, which thickens but doesn't scramble, and everything is coated.
• Add extra pasta cooking water to keep it saucy (several tablespoons should do it). You don't want it wet, just moist. Season with a little salt, if needed.
• Use a long-pronged fork to twist the pasta on to the serving plate or bowl. Serve immediately with a little sprinkling of the remaining cheese and a grating of black pepper. If the dish does get a little dry before serving, splash in some more hot pasta water and the glossy sauciness will be revived.

CLASSIC CARBONARA WITH PANCETTA

Steps:

• Whisk together the eggs, cream, and 1 cup of Parmesan cheese in a bowl. Blend thoroughly, and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook until al dente, or for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta, then return it to the pot (off of the heat), and cover to keep warm.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet; add the onion and cook until transparent, about 8 minutes. Remove onion from the skillet; place in a bowl, and cover to keep warm.
• Using the same skillet, cook the pancetta over medium heat until browned, tossing with nutmeg. Drain on paper towels.
• Combine the pasta, onion, pancetta, pine nuts, salt, and pepper in the same large skillet over low heat. Slowly stir in the egg-cream mixture, tossing gently so the eggs don't scramble. Cook until just heated through. Remove from heat and toss with parsley and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.