Comforting Pasta Carbonara

Total Time: 30 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 8 ounces pancetta, diced
• fresh ground black pepper
• 6 eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 lb penne pasta (smooth style pasta, no ridges or spirals)
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Recipe

• 1 heat a large sauté pan, until hot. add pancetta and sauté until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes, remove pan from heat.
• 2 in a medium bowl, beat the eggs and cream. season with pepper. stir in 1 cup of parmesan, reserving ¼ cup for garnish.
• 3 in a large pot, boil 6 quarts of salted boiling water. add pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. drain pasta in a colander. do not rinse with water; you want to retain the pasta's natural starches so that the sauce will stick. while the pasta is still hot, return it back to the pot.
• 4 add the browned pancetta and mix well.
• 5 add the cream mixture and coat the pasta completely.
• 6 it's important to work quickly while the pasta is still warm so that the cream mixture will cook, but not curdle.
• 7 add remaining parmesan and chopped parsley. serve immediately as the pasta will absorb the sauce and the dish will become dry as it cools.
• 8 please note: carbonara sauce is meant to be used on a penne style pasta or a spaghetti so the sauce coats the pasta. one reviewer used a corkscrew/rotini style pasta causing the sauce to become trapped in the spirals and the pasta was dry. also to the same reviewer most carbonara dishes are very a simple sauce and do not add garlic or mushrooms.