Root-Vegetable Pasta Carbonara

By ltrodrigu

Ingredients

• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons peeled and finely diced celery root
• 2 tablespoons peeled and finely diced parsnip
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons water, plus more for cooking pasta
• 1/2 cup finely diced pancetta or bacon
• 1 pound bucatini or penne pasta
• 3 eggs plus 3 yolks, beaten
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan or pecorino, plus more for garnish

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from wsj.com

Preparation

Step 1

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. In a small pot over medium heat, simmer celery root, parsnips, cream, a pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons water until vegetables are fork tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer cooked vegetables and cooking liquid to a blender. Purée until completely smooth. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan over low heat, cook pancetta until browned on all sides but still tender, about 4 minutes. Set aside.

3. Add pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain cooked pasta, reserving 2 cups pasta cooking water.

4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine eggs, yolks, ½ cup grated cheese and ¼ cup vegetable purée. Toss in cooked pasta until evenly coated with sauce. Stir in extra cheese, vegetable purée or reserved pasta water as needed to coat noodles thoroughly. Stir in reserved pancetta. To serve, garnish each helping with grated cheese and pepper.