Silky Carbonara
This dish relies on the timing of your movements. If you toss the pasta with the egg mixture over direct heat, you get breakfast eggs; if you remove it from the stove and move quickly, you get a sauce that clings to every strand.
Master the emulsion, not the recipe.
Keep your heat low and your bowl ready. The transition from pan to bowl happens off the burner to protect the delicate texture of the yolks.
- large heavy-bottomed skillet
- large pot for boiling water
- mixing bowl
- tongs
- microplane or fine grater
What goes in.
- 200gspaghetti or rigatoni
- 100gguanciale or pancetta, diced
- 3large egg yolks
- 1large whole egg
- 60gPecorino Romano, finely grated
- 1 tspcoarsely ground black pepper
The off-heat emulsion
Once the pasta is tossed in the rendered fat, move the pan to a cold burner. Adding the egg mixture only when the pan is off the flame prevents the proteins from curdling.
The method.
Render the fat
Place the guanciale in a cold skillet and set to medium-low. Let the fat liquefy until the edges of the meat are golden and crisp, about 8 minutes.
Prepare the liaison
Whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, grated Pecorino, and black pepper in a bowl until it forms a thick paste.
Boil the pasta
Cook the pasta in salted water until two minutes before the package indicates al dente. Reserve one cup of the starchy cooking water.
Combine
Transfer the pasta directly to the skillet with the fat using tongs. Add a splash of pasta water and toss to coat.
Emulsify
Remove the pan from the heat entirely. Pour in the egg mixture and toss vigorously. Add a splash more pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce until it is smooth and glossy.
Other turns to take.
Classic Pancetta
Substitute guanciale with cured pancetta if you prefer a slightly less fatty profile.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Salt the pasta water less than usual, as both the pork and the Pecorino are high in salt.
Use a metal bowl for mixing the eggs so it retains the heat of the pasta water, helping the sauce set properly.
If the sauce is too thick, add a tablespoon of pasta water at a time until it reaches a pouring consistency.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my eggs scramble?
The pan was too hot when you added the eggs. Always pull the pan off the burner and let it sit for thirty seconds before adding the mixture.
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