Spaghetti alla Carbonara

By far my favorite dish of all time (at least Western dish) is Spaghetti Carbonara. This silky, creamy pasta is as simple as it is genius. It's the quintessential Roman dish and if you ever find yourself in 'the city of love', it is something that you must try. Trust me. You'll thank me later! 

What I found so ingenious about this dish is that, although it is extremely creamy, there isn't any cream involved. Eggs that are beaten with Pecorino Romano cheese are added to the dish at the end and tossed on a very low heat. This is what creates the silky texture. The richness of the pasta with the cured, strong bacon-like flavor of the guanciale makes this recipe king! 

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

INGREDIENTS:

Serves 1

4 ounces of Spaghetti (uncooked)

2 ounces of Guanciale (or Pancetta), cut into 1/4 inch pieces

1/2 cup Pecorino Romano, finely grated

1 large egg

1 1/2 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 TSP Kosher Salt
Fresh ground pepper

DIRECTIONS:

In a large pot, bring 5-6 quarts of water to a rapid boil. Add salt and pasta and cook until just al dente. Set drained pasta aside, but keep water at a gentle boil. 

In a large saute pan, add Olive Oil until hot but not smoking. Add the guanciale and pepper. Cook until browned and crispy on the outside. Set aside on a paper towel to rid of excess oil. Also drain excess oil from the pan.

In a bowl, beat the egg with half of the pecorino romano and a few cracks of black pepper. 

In the same saute pan, on the lowest heat possible, add the pasta and guanciale. Take one ladle of hot pasta water from the pot and add to the pan. Stir the pasta and guanciale for about a minute. Add the egg mixture and the rest of the pecorino romano and stir slowly. When the ingredients start to form the sauce, add another ladle of pasta water. Stir until pasta has a creamy and velvety texture.

**Careful not to cook the eggs on too high of heat or you will get scrambled eggs!**

Serve immediately. Garnish with more pecorino and parmigiano reggiano.