pantry pasta: spaghetti Carbonara
During this time of staying home and being safe, my friend Dana Beninati who is based in Florida wanted to do a live class with me on Instagram. We looked over our fridges and pantries and both said CARBONARA at the same time. It’s an easy yet satisfying dish that everyone loves!
pantry pasta: spaghetti Carbonara
Prep time: 15 minutes | Total time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients:
Kosher salt
8 ounces spaghetti
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
1/4 cup grated parmesan or pecorino, plus more for serving
Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup diced pancetta or bacon, about 2 ounces
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions:
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Season generously with kosher salt. The water should taste like the sea. Once boiling, add spaghetti and cook to al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. Drain well in a colander and set aside.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg, egg yolk, parmesan, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a Dutch Oven or medium high-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the diced pancetta, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 4 minutes. Add the cooked spaghetti and 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss until spaghetti is combined.
Lower the heat to low, add the beaten egg mixture to the pan and toss until well combined. Toss continuously to avoid the eggs from cooking too fast and creating scrambled eggs. Once the sauce and the spaghetti is well combined, about 1 minute. Stir in the parsley and transfer to a serving bowl. Top with additional grated parmesan and enjoy warm.
Cook’s Note
Why do I finish the pasta on low heat?*
I like to keep the pasta and egg mixture on low heat while stirring to combine because the heat will help cook the egg and egg yolk. This is especially important for young children and expecting mothers.