Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

The Challenge

Uncommon cooking method. Can the heat from the pasta cook the eggs adequately?

The Source

Page 111 of Cook Like A Rock Star by Anne Burrell with Suzanne Lenzer

Mise En Place

Kosher salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 pound spaghetti
8 large eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino
Freshly ground black pepper
4 scallions, green parts only, cut into 1-inch lengths on a severe bias

Method

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Coat a large skillet with olive oil and bring it to medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to color and become crisp, 6 to 8 minutes; remove from the heat.

Rendered Pancetta

2. Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 1 minute less than the instructions on the package suggest. Taste it: It should be tooth-some with just a little nugget of hard pasta still in the center-this is al dente.

3. While the pasta is cooking, crack the eggs into a large bowl and add the grated Parm and Pecorino; season with salt and whisk vigorously until well combined. Season with black pepper.

Egg and Cheese Mixture

4. Bring the pan with the pancetta back to medium heat. Drain the pasta, add it to the pan, and coat it with any fat in the skillet. Remove the pan from the heat, add the egg mixture to the pasta, and stir vigorously to combine. Cover and let it sit for 1 to 2 minutes so the steam gently cooks the eggs. Uncover and stir again-the egg mixture will seem like a cream sauce. Serve immediately garnished with sliced scallions.

Pasta Coated With Fat

Successful?

Yes, the eggs cooked adequately from the steam.