Carbonara
8 ounces spaghetti or fettuccine
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2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for tossing the pasta
4 ounces bacon, small diced
2 egg yolks
1½-2 cups finely grated parmesan
4 ounces butter
reserved pasta water
1½ cups heavy cream
½ cup green peas (blanched if using fresh peas or thawed if using frozen)
Heat a large pot of water to a boil. Season with a heavy pinch of salt. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1-2 cups of the pasta cooking water. Toss the pasta with a little olive oil to prevent sticking and transfer to a baking sheet to cool.
In a large sauté pan, cook the bacon until golden brown and crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove the crispy bacon from the pan. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate to drain. Keep about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pan.
In a small bowl, whisk the 2 tablespoons of oil, egg yolks and ½ cup of the cheese together. Slowly whisk in about 1 cup of the pasta water into the bowl until emulsified. Pour the emulsification into the pan with the bacon fat whisking constantly. Add another cup of the pasta water and add the cooked pasta into the pan folding and stirring.
Add the rest of the cheese and the butter and the peas if using.
If you want a more “stable” method, or if you want your sauce a little thicker, add the heavy cream and heat through.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve and top with the crunchy bacon bits.