Italy

Carbonara Pasta

Serves 4

This is a wonderful dish that is very easy to do. It uses raw eggs, which are not to everyone's taste and should be avoided by pregnant women.

Allergens named in the ingredients: Gluten, Eggs, Milk. Flags come from what shops, restaurants and cooks list and from the ingredient names. Always check the label. This is not medical advice.

Ingredients

4 free-range eggs with large yolks
3 oz (65 g) fresh Italian pancetta, cubed into ¼–⅜-inch (0.64–0.95 cm) pieces
1 sprig of fresh thyme, finely chopped
¼ small onion, finely chopped
The minced zest of ½ a lemon
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Grated parmigiano and/or pecorino romano cheese
12 oz (340 g) uncooked pasta (e.g. spaghetti or penne)

Method

Put on the desired quantity of pasta to cook.
Crack the eggs carefully, and separate the yolks from the whites—a good way of doing this is to run the egg through the almost closed fingers of your upturned palm, so as the white runs away through the fingers, and the yolk remains in your hand. Keep the yolks in a large bowl, and use the whites for another purpose. Remember to pick out the pesky little white bit that always remains behind on the yolk.
Fry the pancetta on a lowish heat in a dry frying pan until it is crispy.
When the pancetta is cooked, drain and allow it to cool for a few minutes before combining it with the yolks in a large bowl. Allowing it to cool prevents cooking of the eggs.
Add a pinch of rock-salt and a very generous amount of ground pepper to the yolk mixture.
Add the lemon zest, chopped thyme, and a small amount of the Parmigiano cheese.
Drain the pasta through a colander, count to 10 to let the pasta cool slightly, and add it to the bowl with the yolk mixture.
Mix it through with a wooden spoon and serve immediately, sprinkling the remaining Parmigiano cheese over the top.