Spaghetti Carbonara

For some, comfort food means fried chicken, for others it is macaroni and cheese. While I love these foods, and indeed find them comforting, spaghetti carbonara is one of my old standbys of comfort food. It is rich and creamy, easy to prepare yet not something one eats every day. Mario Batali's recipe in Simple Italian Food: Recipes from my Two Villages (1998) is my go-to formula, which I have tweaked over time. As Batali describes it, carbonara is actually a "classic 'breakfast' pasta eaten after a night on the town." For those nervous about raw eggs, never fear: the heat from the spaghetti cooks the eggs. I promise.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara
1/2 medium onio, finely chopped (this can be increased to your taste, or substituted with shallots)
4 ounces guanciale, pancetta, or bacon, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 eggs (I often use less)
1 pound thick spaghetti
1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino cheese
4 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and add about 2 tablespoons of salt.

In a 12- to 14-inch saute pan, cook the onion and guanciale over medium heat until both onion and guanciale are translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the cream and cook for 1 minute.


Separate the eggs, being careful to keep the yolks whole. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions, until tender but still al dente, and drain. Add the hot pasta to the saute pan and toss over medium heat until coated. Add 1/4 cup of the cheese and stir through. Remove from the heat and vigorously stir in the egg whites (the vigorously is key here - otherwise you end up with scrambled eggs in your pasta).

Divide the pasta among four plates (we like large bowls) and top each serving with 1 yolk. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup grated cheese and the black pepper and serve.

Topping each serving with the egg yolk is a great effect for guests, but lately we've been skipping that part and just mixing in the egg whites and yolk in the pan. We've also cut it from 4 to 2 eggs. We've used both pancetta and bacon in this recipe, and both work very well. Pancetta has a subtler flavor, while bacon imparts a distinct smokiness. Trim the bacon of fat. We generally use a whole package. You can really tailor this dish to your individual tastes - play with the amount of cream, eggs, meat, and cheese.

Vegetarians, never fear. This is also an excellent dish without the bacon. I've also made a vegetarian version with veggie bacon that was awesome.