Spaghetti alla Carbonara and Deconstructed Carbonara

Spaghetti Carbonara

Photo Credit: Jenny 

These two recipes are personal favorites of our family. We have not eaten spaghetti carbonara in awhile, but it is very special and comforting. I ate it when I went to Italy, and Italian carbonara is so creamy and savory. 

Here are two recipes for "spaghetti carbonara" and "deconstructed carbonara" - fresh sheets of pasta with the egg poached on top instead of broken and mixed in with the pasta. 

Regular Carbonara
Serves: 4-5
Ingredients: 

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil 
• 5 oz of pancetta cut into 1/4 x 1/4 dices 
• 2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
• 1 lb of spaghetti 
• 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese 
• 1/2 cup of grated pecorino romano 

Directions: 

• Heat oil in a fry pan over medium- high heat. Add the pancetta and fry until they turn brown and become crisp. 
• Put the eggs, egg yolks and 1/4 cup of water into a small bowl and beat them together with a fork. Set this aside. 
• Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of rapidly boiling water (remember to salt the water). Use a fork to mix the eggs, the pancetta with the fat and oil, and 1/4 cup of parmesan and pecorino romano into the spaghetti.
• Top the pasta with the remaining cheese on top. 

Deconstructed Carbonara 

Serves: 4-5
Ingredients: 

• 1 tablespoon of olive oil 
• 5 oz of pancetta cut into 1/4 x 1/4 dices 
• 4 poached eggs
• 1 lb of fresh pasta sheets
• 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese 
• 1/2 cup of grated pecorino romano 

Directions: 

• Heat oil in a fry pan over medium- high heat. Add the pancetta and fry until they turn brown and become crisp. 
• Cut the fresh sheets of pasta into squares and cook it in a pot of boiling water.
• Poach four eggs in a separate pan and then place the egg on top of the cooked pasata.
• Add the bacon and then bacon fat. Dribble the fat over the pasta. 
• Top the pasta with parmesan and pecorino romano cheese.