Two Step Carbonara Recipes

EASY CARBONARA

Steps:

• Cook the pasta in a pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions.
• Slice the bacon and place in a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat with half a tablespoon of olive oil and a really good pinch of black pepper. Leave it to get super-golden and crispy, tossing occasionally, then turn off the heat.
• Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a bowl, then finely grate in the Parmesan and mix well.
• Use tongs to transfer your pasta straight into the pan and toss with the bacon.
• Pour the Parmesan eggs into the pan, and keep everything moving, loosening with splashes of the pasta cooking water until you have a silky sauce. Make sure the pan isn't too hot otherwise the eggs will scramble.
• Plate up the pasta, and finish with an extra grating of Parmesan.

SPAGHETTI ALLA CARBONARA FOR TWO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook until almost al dente (about 2 minutes less than package instructions).
• While the pasta is cooking, mix the egg, egg yolks, cheese, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Reserve.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet, over medium-high heat. Add the diced pancetta and cook until crispy and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and reserve the pancetta with about 3 tablespoons of the rendered fat.
• When the pasta is done, drain it in a colander set over a large mixing bowl, letting the hot pasta water heat the bowl. Reserve 1 cup of the starchy water.
• Discard the water and use that bowl to toss the pasta with the pancetta, reserved fat, egg mixture and 1/2 cup pasta water. Work quickly, tossing vigorously and adding more pasta water if necessary, until the sauce is silky and the cheese has melted completely. You can add more salt and pepper if needed.
• Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with extra Parmigiano Reggiano at the table.

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.

PASTA CARBONARA

Steps:

• Heat the pasta water: Put a large pot of salted water on to boil (1 tablespoon salt for every 2 quarts of water.)
• Beat the eggs and half of the cheese: In a small bowl, beat the eggs and mix in about half of the cheese.
• Cook the pasta: Once the water has reached a rolling boil, add the dry pasta, and cook, uncovered, at a rolling boil.

TWO-STEP CARBONARA

Steps:

• Boil the pasta. Meanwhile, fry pancetta in oil in a frying pan for a few mins until golden and crisp. Add garlic, fry for 1 min, then turn off the heat. Briefly whisk egg and yolks with most of the Parmesan and some seasoning.
• Drain pasta, reserving a little of the cooking water. Add eggs and a tbsp of cooking water, then mix until pasta is coated and creamy. The heat from the pasta will gently cook the sauce. Stir in the pancetta and garlic then serve, topped with the remaining Parmesan.

SPAGHETTI ALLA CARBONARA: THE TRADITIONAL ITALIAN RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add guanciale (see Cook's Note). Cook, turning occasionally, until evenly browned and crispy, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain on paper towels.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until tender yet firm to the bite, about 9 minutes. Drain and return to the pot. Let cool, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk eggs, half of the Pecorino Romano cheese, and some black pepper in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Pour egg mixture over pasta, stirring quickly, until creamy and slightly cooled. Stir in guanciale. Top with remaining Pecorino Romano cheese and more black pepper.

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.

SPAGHETTI CARBONARA II

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti pasta until al dente. Drain well. Toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and set aside.
• Meanwhile in a large skillet, cook chopped bacon until slightly crisp; remove and drain onto paper towels. Reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon fat; add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and heat in reused large skillet. Add chopped onion, and cook over medium heat until onion is translucent. Add minced garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Add wine if desired; cook one more minute.
• Return cooked bacon to pan; add cooked and drained spaghetti. Toss to coat and heat through, adding more olive oil if it seems dry or is sticking together. Add beaten eggs and cook, tossing constantly with tongs or large fork until eggs are barely set. Quickly add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, and toss again. Add salt and pepper to taste (remember that bacon and Parmesan are very salty).
• Serve immediately with chopped parsley sprinkled on top, and extra Parmesan cheese at table.

SPAGHETTI CARBONARA

Steps:

• Place a large pot of lightly salted water (no more than 1 tablespoon salt) over high heat, and bring to a boil. Fill a large bowl with hot water for serving, and set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolks and pecorino and Parmesan. Season with a pinch of salt and generous black pepper.
• Set the water to boil. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the pork, and sauté until the fat just renders, on the edge of crispness but not hard. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Add pasta to the water and boil until a bit firmer than al dente. Just before pasta is ready, reheat guanciale in skillet, if needed. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain pasta and add to the skillet over low heat. Stir for a minute or so.
• Empty serving bowl of hot water. Dry it and add hot pasta mixture. Stir in cheese mixture, adding some reserved pasta water if needed for creaminess. Serve immediately, dressing it with a bit of additional grated pecorino and pepper.