Pancetta Recipes
Spaghetti Carbonara
The most popular dish in which pancetta is used is spaghetti carbonara. Spaghetti does not necessarily have to be used. Many other types are popular with carbonara. Carbonara is a type of Italian sauce. It made from a mixture of eggs, garlic, olive oil, and parmesan cheese. Some recipes call for other Italian cheeses to be used, but parmesan is a must. A basic recipe for carbonara is as follows:
Ingredients:
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large eggs
- 80 g parmesan cheese, grated
- 80 g Romano cheese, grated
- 1 handful fresh parsley
- 4 cloves garlic
- 125 grams pancetta, cubed or sliced
- ½ kg dry pasta
Bring enough water to boil for the pasta. Salt the water and boil the pasta for 10 minutes. Drain, but reserve 125 ml of the starchy water.
Heat the olive oil in a deep pan on medium heat. Saute the pancetta for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and let it sauté for another minute. Add the pasta, and toss the mixture for one minute until it is coated in the oil and fat.
In a separate bowl, mix the eggs and parmesan cheese. Whisk them together until smooth. Remove the pasta from the heat and add the egg/cheese mixture. Whisk the mixture quickly, thickening the eggs. The sauce can then be thinned out with the reserved water.
Mound the carbonara into bowls. Add a little black pepper, and garnish with parsley. Finally, top it off with a sprinkle of Romano cheese.
