Spicy Caramelized Fennel Rigatoni Carbonara

By vealam

Ingredients

• 1 3" slice stale ciabatta bread (I prefer roasted garlic ciabatta)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 bulbs fennel, stalks and fronds included
• 1 teaspoon original Sriracha sauce, plus more to taste
• 1 lb rigatoni pasta
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• Kosher salt and pepper, to taste

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 40mins
Adapted from hostthetoast.com

Preparation

Step 1

Tear the ciabatta into chunks and place in a food processor. Process until coarse crumbs remain.
Heat a teaspoon of the olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add in the breadcrumbs and toast them, stirring often, until browned and crunchy. Remove from heat and transfer the breadcrumbs to a small bowl. Wipe out the pan.
Dice the fennel bulbs, slice the stalks, and pick off the fronds and separate them. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in the same pan over medium heat and add in the fennel bulb and stalks. Add in the teaspoon of Sriracha and toss to coat. Cook until caramelized, stirring occasionally, about 12- 15 minutes.
As the fennel caramelizes, cook the pasta according to package directions. When al dente, remove from heat and drain, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water.
Add the pasta to the caramelized fennel and toss to distribute evenly. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs. Remove the pan from heat and very quickly whisk in the eggs, allowing them to thicken but not scramble. Whisk in the reserved pasta water to desired thinness. Fold in the shredded mozzarella and season generously with kosher salt and black pepper.
Top with the fennel fronds and ciabatta breadcrumbs, to taste, and serve warm.