EGGS*****Penne Carbonara

By Unblond1

02/07/17 - Great for both, as written. Don't try to reduce the calorie count, it won't be the same. Once-in-a-while treat.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup garlic scapes, cut into 1/4 inch coins (Optional - they were great but I'm sure it will still be good without - no need to replace with anything else)
• 3 1/2 ounces penne
• 1 1/2 ounces thinly-sliced pancetta strips
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 whole large egg plus 1 yolk
• 20 grams grated Pecorino Romano
• 20 grams grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (ground medium-coarse), plus more for serving
• 1 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley, to garnish (Optional - didn't bother but it could work)

Details

Servings 2

Preparation

Step 1

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook, stirring, until al dente.

Meanwhile, combine pancetta with olive oil in skillet and cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat, until fat has rendered and pancetta is crisp, about 7 minutes, adding garlic scapes for last 2 or 3 minutes. (I used the copper-bottomed frying pan and really cooked the pancetta, which I'm sure contributed to the crispy texture of the pancetta and the flavour of the overall dish.

In a medium metal heatproof mixing bowl, whisk together eggs Pecorino Romano, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and black pepper, keeping back a couple tablespoons of the cheese for serving.

Using a scooper, transfer pasta to skillet with crisped pancetta and its fat; along with a couple tablespoons of pasta water, reserving remainder. Remove from the heat, stir to combine; let cool slightly (I left it about a minute, which was fine) Scrape pasta, pork, and all the fat into the egg mixture. Measure 2 - 4 tablespoons pasta-cooking water and add to pasta and egg mixture. Stir well to combine.

Set mixing bowl over pot of boiling pasta water (make sure bottom of bowl does not touch the water) and cook, stirring quickly, until sauce thickens to a creamy, silky consistency and leaves trails as you stir. Add additional pasta water as needed. Remove from heat, season with salt if needed, (it wasn't) and correct consistency with additional pasta water, divide into bowls. It thickens right away when you serve it so leave it a little on the loose side. Serve right away, topping with more grated cheese and freshly ground pepper as desired

Calories 486.1
Total Fat 24.8 g
Saturated Fat 8.8 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7 g
Monounsaturated Fat 4.9 g
Cholesterol 260.6 mg
Sodium 540.1 mg
Potassium 75.0 mg
Total Carbohydrate 42.3 g
Dietary Fiber 5.1 g
Sugars 1.2 g
Protein 24.8 g