Spaghetti Carbonara

If you know me, you know besides baking and cooking another passion of mine is space and NASA and the privatization of the space industry.  That being said, while I am writing this post, I have NASATV on so I can watch the release of the Dragon capsule from the International Space Station. I provided you with a link so I can spend my time on this blog talking about food, and you can read about the Dragon when you have time.

The other night I was in a rush to get home, make dinner and get back out.  I also wanted to make something different for dinner.  Typically I would turn to my shrimp and pasta recipe for a night like this, but I was not in the mood for that.  I had read the recipe for spaghetti carbonara in my latest issue of Savuer and decided this recipe would be really easy to make on a night like it was set up to be.  And I was right.  It only took me a half hour from the time I got home to the time we had food on the table.  A quick, easy and gourmet-type of recipe.  These are the kinds of recipes I like.

I must also thank TS for making this recipe happen.  He had to go to three different grocery stores to find pancetta.  He found it at Kowalski's.  He could not find it at Cub or Rainbow.  You could also probably find it at Lunds or Byerly's. 

The recipe, as I said, came from Saveur.  I basically followed the recipe in Saveur.  I did not have parsley, so I could not add that to the recipe.  I also cut the recipe in half because it was for just the two of us, and the recipe makes enough for four.  I will provide the recipe as I made it. If you are making it for 4, 6, 8 people just adjust the ingredients accordingly.

INGREDIENTS 
(for 2 people)
1.5 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
5 oz. pancetta, cut into ½″-long x ¼″-square strips
1/3 cup white wine
1/2 lb. dried spaghetti
1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp finely grated Parmesan & Romano mix
1 egg
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

RECIPE
1. Heat oil in a 12″ skillet over medium-high heat AND start a pot of water for spaghetti to boil.
1a. When water has begun to boil, add pasta and cook for 7 mins.
2. Add garlic, and cook until golden, about 1 minute.
3. Remove and discard majority of  garlic.
4. Add pancetta, and cook until edges are crisp, about 6 minutes.
5. While pancetta is cooking, in a large bowl, whisk together Parmesan/Romano mix and egg.
6. Add wine, and cook until thickened, about 3 minutes.
7. Remove pan from heat. 
8. When pasta is completed cooking, drain, and reserve ¼ cup pasta water.
9. Slowly drizzle in reserved pasta water into the egg/cheese mixture and whisk until smooth.
10. Add pancetta/wine mixture to egg/cheese mixture and stir together.
11. Add spaghetti and season with fresh ground black pepper and a pinch of salt.
12. Toss to combine, and serve immediately.  

Well, the Dragon was successfully released from the ISS and is on its way back to Earth.  It should arrive off the coast of the Baja peninsula this afternoon.  

Enjoy this recipe!  It is a good one to make.