Pasta Carbonara

We've now made a few pasta carbonara recipes and most of them have been ok. Nothing crazy good or anything, but definitely feels more fancy than noodles with a can of pre-made sauce. Also, most of the time we have all the ingredients in our house already so that makes it much easier to make on the fly. 

• 3 Tbsp kosher salt
• 4 oz guanciale, pancetta, or slab bacon
• 2 oz Parmesan cheese, grated
• 4 large egg yolks
• 2 large eggs
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb bucatini
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Bring salt and 6 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Slice meat into 1-inch by 1/4 inch strips (they should be bite-sizes pieces). Whisk 3/4 of cheese, egg yolks, eggs, garlic, and lots of pepper in a medium bowl until smooth. 

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium. Cook meat, stirring just until crisp, 7-10 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and pour off all but 3 Tbsp fat. Set aside for now. 

Meanwhile, cook bucatini in boiling water, stirring occasionally, 2 minutes shy of package instructions. Just before pasta is done, scoop out 1 3/4 cup of water and reserve. Add 1 cup of reserved pasta water to Dutch oven; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Using tongs, transfer pasta to Dutch oven and cook, tossing, until al dente and liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. 

Remove pot from heat. Whisk 1/4 cup pasta water into egg mixture, then slowly stream into pasta, tossing like crazy until cheese is melted and egg has thickened to form a smooth, glossy sauce. Taste and season sauce with more salt if needed. Thin sauce with remaining pasta water, adding a splash at a time until it's the consistency of heavy cream. Fold in meat. 

Divide pasta among plates or shallow bowls, making sure to scape all the sauce at the bottom of the pot. Top with reserved cheese and a few more grinds of pepper. 

Serves 4

Total Time: 25 minutes

Recipe from some magazine. Sorry! I ripped the page out and can't tell. It might be Bon Appetit?