Wayne Thiebaud's Spaghetti with Mizithra Cheese

By garciamoss

Artist Wayne Thiebaud's recipe from the California Artists Cookbook (Abbeville Press, 1982) combines smoky bacon and prosciutto with egg yolks and mizithra, an aged sheep's milk cheese from Greece, for a gloriously rich dish.

Ingredients

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 lb. spaghetti
• 4 oz. bacon, cut into 1″ pieces
• 4 oz. prosciutto, cut into 1/2″ pieces
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 cups grated mizithra cheese or parmesan
• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
• 4 egg yolks, lightly beaten

Details

Adapted from saveur.com

Preparation

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti until al dente, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat bacon and prosciutto in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until bacon is crisp, 8–10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon and prosciutto to paper towels to drain. Add onion to pan; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 4–6 minutes. Add stock and butter; boil. Drain spaghetti and add to pan; toss with sauce. Remove from heat; stir in reserved bacon and prosciutto, plus half the cheese, the parsley, egg yolks, salt, and pepper. Serve remaining cheese on the side.