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Tuscany near Siena (Photo:RLW)

Pasta alla Carbonara

Sizzling bacon, wine, cream, eggs, black pepper and pasta – we’re in heaven! Pasta alla Carbonara was perhaps first brought home to America by our soldiers fighting in Italy in WWII. Many know it as a typical Roman dish, but the name purportedly comes from the Appenine mountains of Abruzzo by woodcutters who made charcoal for fuel. Literally, “in the manner of the coal miners” (Carbonara and carbone, the Italian word for coal, both derive from the Latin word carbo.), its preparation in Italy creates “just enough” sauce. 

4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 ounces pancetta or slab bacon, diced

1 teaspoon diced garlic

2 tablespoons white wine

1/2 cup cream

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more as you wish

1 pound fresh linguine, spaghetti, or even penne as you wish (fresh is best)

1 cup grated Pecorino Romano

2 eggs, separated

   red pepper flakes to your tatse (optional)

Directions

Put the water in a large pasta pot, add salt, and bring it to a boil over medium heat.

Add the oil and pancetta to a large sauté pan over low heat. Cook the pancetta until crisp, being careful not to burn it, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for 5 seconds. Add the wine, cream and black pepper. Cook until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Drop the fresh pasta into water and stir to separate strands. When pasta is just undercooked remove it from the water and add it to the pan with the sauce. Gently stir for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat, add 1/2 the cheese and the egg white and stir, being careful not to break the noodles. Add the egg yolk and lightly toss. Transfer the pasta to a serving bowl or platter and garnish with the remaining cheese. Enjoy.

Richard Wottrich