Pasta Carbonara

I love pasta. I think it's great to try something outside the typical pasta and red sauce circle. This was pretty good, if some of the ingredients were a little difficult to find. The cheeses presented a problem. We went to both WinCo and WalMart to find the right blends, and even then, I think we had to make our own blends. I could find Parmigiano Romano cheese, or plain Pecorino, etc. We made it work, but still. A bit of a hassle. On the upside, I found pre-chopped pancetta! So a little less prep work for me to do. 

• 1 lb uncooked linguine or spaghetti
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/3 lb pancetta, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, chopped
• kosher salt
• black pepper
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese 
• 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 1 minute less than package directions. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups cooking water. 

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add pancetta, and cook until browned, 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and pepper; cook, stirring, until golden, 1 minute. Add wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced, 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to low to keep warm.

Whisk egg yolks in a medium bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Slowly whisk 1 cup of reserved cooking water into the yolks to temper the eggs. 

Add pasta to pancetta in skillet; toss to combine. Remove from heat. Add egg yolks to the pasta; toss to coat. Add grated cheeses and parsley, season with salt and pepper, and add up to 1/2 cup cooking water, if needed. Toss to coat; serve immediately. 

Serves 4-6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Recipe from Rachael Ray in People magazine