Pasta: Sweet Onion Carbonara

By SharonE

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, chopped
• 1 large or 2 small yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Kosher salt
• ⅔ cup heavy cream
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• ¾ cup shredded Gruyère cheese
• ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 4 large eggs
• 1 pound mezzi rigatoni
• Lots of coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and sauté until it is brown and crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove the pancetta from the pan and cool. Add the onions to the pan and cook for 10 minutes, or until golden brown and lightly caramelized. Add the garlic and ½ teaspoon salt, and cook 2 minutes more. Set aside to cool slightly. In a large bowl, combine the cream, ¼ teaspoon salt, the Parmigiano-Reggiano, Gruyère, lemon zest, and eggs, and whisk to blend.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is just tender but still firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Return the pasta to the large pot along with the onions, egg-and-cream mixture, ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water, and the pancetta. Toss over low heat until the sauce coats the pasta thickly, about 2 minutes, adding more pasta water as needed. Don’t let the mixture get too hot or the eggs will scramble. Season to taste with pepper.

Transfer the pasta to a large wide serving bowl. Sprinkle with chives and serve.