1 Video | Photo: Penne a la Carbonara Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound pancetta, diced into 1-inch cubes
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 pound dried penne
- 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Directions
Heat a large saute pan, until hot. Add pancetta and saute until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Season with black pepper and remove pan from heat.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in Parmesan, reserving 2 tablespoons for garnish.
In a large pot, boil 6 quarts of salted boiling water. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta in a colander. Do not rinse with water; you want to retain the pasta's natural starches so that the sauce will stick. While the pasta is still hot, return it back to the pot. Add the browned pancetta and mix well. Add the cream mixture and coat the pasta completely. It's important to work quickly while the pasta is still warm so that the cream mixture will cook, but not curdle. Add remaining Parmesan and chopped parsley.
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By MrsZDP
on November 11, 2011
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Just made this dish for the first time tonight and it was UH-mazing! I was really nervous about the sauce and the eggs cooking if I didn't time it just right. I made the sauce first just to make sure it was at the best room temp before adding it to the pasta. I even set the bowl next to the pot of boiling water!
I didn't find pancetta in town so I used regular bacon, which was still very delicious (I also used a shallot in the bacon at the end...yum!. To the sauce I added about 4 cloves of garlic because my husband and I think garlic is a necessity in almost anything! LOL I also only used 4 whole eggs instead of 6 due to the wheat pasta I buy is shy of a pound and I took a small bowl out for my son because he's entirely too picky and made his separate. It worked out perfectly!
I've had carbonara in restaurants and I do have to say this was by far the best! Giada hit another home run for this family :
By Chef #788963
Gibsonville, NC
on September 12, 2011
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Excellent, creamy sauce. I added garlic, (a little or a lot according to personal taste. Fresh basil is also a delicious addition.
This recipe is most like what we enjoyed in a wonderful trattoria in Rome.
Thanks Giada
By carl_2645483
San Francisco, CA
on August 23, 2011
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Love this recipe and make it often. The most important part is to let the eggs and cream get to room temperature or you end up with the liquid egg sauce that a few have complained about. My tip to avoid this is to mix the egg and cream and then set the bowl in warm water in the sink. Later, mix with the well drained Penne and Voilà! You have it! Cheers...
Read all 107 reviews