Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Sometimes less is more, or that it's best to keep it simple.  This is one of those dishes that reflect these statements well.  My boyfriend was craving this recipe this weekend and lucky for him it's so simple to make that I was able to make it in an cinch.  The entire dish can be done from start to finish in 40 minutes. It also requires only a handful of ingredients but good quality ingredients makes a world of difference.  Authentic Italian flavours are key, so it is important to use pancetta and freshly grated parmesan, so no bacon or Kraft cheese here.

I use to be one of those people that thought that Pasta Carbonara was spaghetti with bacon, Alfredo sauce and green onions.  Oh boy was I wrong!  I have already made my rendition of that said recipe, which is tastes like good comfort food but the real deal Spaghetti alla Carbonara contains no cream.  The creaminess of the sauce is derived from the mixture of eggs and cheese rather than cream or milk.  It is imperative that the eggs be added off the heat into the warm pan to avoid scrambled eggs.  The egg mixture gets warmed through with the pasta to impart that creamy feel without the use of cream.  Bear in mind that this is by no means a low calorie meal but it is worth it!  In fact, this happens to be a favourite around our place, so much so that it's suppose to be meant for four servings but we somehow turned that into three servings.  

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Ingredients

Salt
2 tablespoons of olive oil
3/4 cup pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 pound of spaghetti
6 large eggs
1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
2 scallions, cut on a severe bias

Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil over medium-high heat.  Drop the pasta into the salted boiling water and cook it until al dente, about 6 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large skill over medium heat and cook until it starts to colour and become crisp.  Turn off the heat and reserve.

While the pasta and pancetta are cooking, crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl.  Add the grated cheese and season with salt and pepper.  Whisk vigorously until it becomes homogenous.

Drain pasta from cooking water once it is cooked and toss pasta into the pancetta to coat the pasta with the remaining fat in the skillet.  Off heat, vigorously stir the egg mixture into the pasta, stirring constantly until the egg mixture looks like a cream sauce, 1 to 2 minutes.

Serve immediately garnished with sliced scallions.

Source: adapted from Anne Burrell of The Food Network