recipe
When you’re craving a comfort food, nothing - I repeat, NOTHING - will cure you like a creamy carbonara. This week You! collaborates with Chef Naim, Executive Chef at Avari Towers, Karachi, who shares the recipe of ‘Spaghetti Carbonara’ from its famous
Italian Nights every Thursday at Asia Live. Bon Appetite!
Ingredients
Spaghetti 1 lb
Beef Pancetta 1/2 lb
Garlic cloves (minced) 1-2
Grated parmesan or pecorino cheese 1 cup
Spring onion (chopped) 1 tbsp
Whole eggs (chopped) 3-4
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Olive oil or unsalted butter 1 tbspp
Method
- Put a large pot of salted water on to boil (1 tbsp salt for every 2 quarts of water.)
- While the water is coming to a boil, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the beef pancetta and cook slowly until crispy. Add the garlic (if using) and cook another minute, then turn off the heat and put the beef pancetta and garlic into a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, beat the eggs and mix in about half of the cheese.
- Cook pasta: Once the water has reached a rolling boil; add the dry pasta, and cook, uncovered, at a rolling boil.
- When the pasta is al dente (still a little firm, not mushy), use tongs to move it to the bowl with the bacon and garlic. Let it be dripping wet. Reserve some of the pasta water.
- Move the pasta from the pot to the bowl quickly, as you want the pasta to be hot. It’s the heat of the pasta that will heat the eggs sufficiently to create a creamy sauce. Toss everything to combine, allowing the pasta to cool just enough so that it doesn’t make the eggs curdle when you mix them in. (That’s the tricky part.)
- Add the beaten eggs with cheese and toss quickly to combine once more. Add salt to taste. Add some pasta water back to the pasta to keep it from drying out.
- Serve at once with the rest of the parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.
- If you want, sprinkle with a little fresh chopped parsley.