I think this dish gets a bum rap. These days it seems to be regarded at best as a guilty pleasure and at worst as a case of wretched excess. To be fair, many renditions of this Italian favorite (probably Roman, and of relatively recent origin) are just too much of a good thing –the thin strands of pasta struggle under the weight of too much cheese, too much bacon and a thick, sticky sauce. Some cooks even add heavy cream, which, I think, pushes the dish right over the edge.
Made carefully, though, pasta carbonara is delicious. It’s not exactly spa food, but it can be richly flavored without being excessively rich. The key to success, I think, is using a light hand with the heavy ingredients. This recipe replaces most of the bacon fat with olive oil, holds back on the cheese and uses pasta water instead of cream to bring it all together, resulting in a sauce that’s silky rather than sticky and full of deep flavor unencumbered by excess fat.
Traditional recipes call for unsmoked Italian bacons — guanciale or pancetta– which are delicious in this dish but can be a bit of a project to find on short notice. I often use regular American smoked bacon because it’s what I have on hand or can get easily, and it makes an equally good, if slightly less authentic dish. Either way, curling up in front of a great old movie with a bowl of spaghetti carbonara and glass of a big red wine is one of my favorite ways to spend a chilly Fall evening.
Recipe
(serves four)
Ingredients
1 pound (450g) spaghetti
1/2 pound (225g) bacon or pancetta
1/4 cup (60ml) plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup (120ml) dry white wine
3 large eggs
2 oz (60g) finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 oz (30g) finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
2 cloves garlic, run through a press or minced
a handful of flat leaf parsley leaves, coarsely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
1. Bring about 4 quarts (4l) of water to the boil in a large pot.
2. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs until smooth and add about 3/4 of the grated cheeses and garlic. Stir to combine.
3. If using sliced bacon, cut it into 1/2 inch strips. (Cut slab bacon into a 1/4 inch dice.) Warm a large skillet over medium-high heat for about a minute. Add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and warm it for about a minute more. Add the bacon and saute until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. (Don’t let the bacon get crispy.)
4. Carefully drain the pan of almost all of the fat. Return to the stove and add 1/4 cup of olive oil. Warm for about 2 minutes more, then add the 1/2 cup of wine. Cook until the alcohol aroma dissipates and the wine is slightly reduced, about 6 minutes more. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
5. Fill a large bowl, preferably ceramic or glass, with the hottest tap water you can draw. (You’ll use this warmed bowl toss and serve the pasta.)
6. When the water reaches the boil, add about 1 tablespoon of table salt (or 1 1/2 tablespoons of kosher salt) and the pasta. Cook until al dente.
7. When the pasta is finished, empty the serving bowl of the warm water and dry it. Then ladle out about 1/3 cup of the pasta water and set it aside. Drain the pasta quickly and without shaking it — it should remain wet. Dump the pasta into the serving bowl. Stir it briefly and check the bottom of the bowl. If there’s not a little puddle of water there, add up to 1/3 cup of the reserved pasta water and toss again.
8. Quickly add the egg mixture, bacon mixture and parsley. Toss to coat thoroughly. If the pasta seems dry, add a little splash of the pasta water and toss again. Season to taste with sea salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper. (Err on the side of dampness — some water will evaporate as you finish the dish, and you can always leave some excess moisture behind in the serving bowl.)
Serve immediately topped with a sprinkle of the remaining grated cheese.
