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Creamy and Smoky Pasta Carbonara

Smoky Pasta Carbonara

Quick, easy and smoky "Adult Mac and Cheese," perfect for an indulgent, midweek meal.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Course: Main Course, Pasta, Side Dish
Cuisine: Italian, Mediterranean
Keyword: carbonara, cheese, cheesy, creamy pasta, italian, parmesan, pasta, pasta carbonara
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 500kcal

Equipment

  • Large boiling pot

Ingredients

  • A good pinch of salt for the pasta water reserve at least one cup pasta water
  • 16 oz spaghetti, bucatini, or rigatoni
  • ½ lb guanciale sub pancetta or thickly-cut bacon
  • 2 cloves garlic smashed and peeled
  • 4 large eggs well-beaten
  • 150 g Parmigiano Reggiano finely grated
  • Kosher salt and coarsely ground pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Bring a salted pot of water to a boil, over medium-high heat. Add a few chunks of hardwood for additional integration of smoky essence. Prepare pasta to al dente.
  • Meanwhile, get a frying pan onto the cooktop or over the fire and heat to medium high heat. Cut up Guanciale into 1/2” pieces and toss into pan. Begin to fry. We want it crispy!!
  • About half way through the cooking process, add the smashed cloves of garlic and get them mixed in the with Guanciale fat and cooked pieces. You want the flavor of the garlic mixed in well!!
  • While your Guanciale is cooking down, grab a bowl and get the eggs into it! Mix well. Add your grated Parmigiano to it and mix that up well. Add pepper if you like to taste (I like A LOT of fresh pepper in this dish). Set aside and have ready to go!
  • Once the Guanciale has cooked, pull a couple small pieces out for garnishing on the final dish if you like. Pull the pan off the heat source and set it aside.
  • Once pasta is completed cooking, save yourself a mug of the pasta water. You can use it to thin out your sauce later and bring the whole thing together by emulsifying the fats and egg/ cheese mix. Trust me, its a good idea! Drain pasta and put back into the pot.
  • Time to work quickly! Add your Guanciale, and 3-4 tbsp of the bacon fat into the Pasta Pot with the Pasta and mix around. Now take your Egg / Cheese Mix and pour into the pasta. The temp from the bacon and pasta will help “cook” or temper the eggs to make it ok to eat (no raw eggs here Rocky!). Don’t scramble them, that’s why you work fast and mix well!
  • If the consistency is too thick, that’s ok! This is why we saved the Pasta water! Add a bit in, and mix it up. It will help thin it out and bring the sauce to the velvety consistence you want!
  • Serve with a bit of extra Parmigiano over the top and the saved Guanciale bits!

Nutrition

Calories: 500kcal
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