Spaghetti Carbonara – The Rick Stein Way

I do not normally post recipes and cooking features however after making this Spaghetti Carbonara this week for the first time in ages I just had to share it!

The recipe is a Rick Stein one and it makes a delicious tasty meal without adding cream. It became one of our favourite quick to prepare meals. Strangely enough though I don’t seem to have cooked it for absolutely ages. I seem to get in the habit of serving meals in rotation, but this one slipped of my menu planner I’m ashamed to say! It is now firmly back on.

This Spaghetti Carbonara can be cooked in around 20 minutes and makes a perfect pasta dish.

Modifications

In this Spaghetti Carbonara recipe Rick uses oil to fry the Pancetta, I tend to use prepacked smoked bacon lardons and fry them without oil. I find that enough fat is released during the cooking process without needing extra. I also use different hard Italian Cheeses, such as Grana Padano or Parmesan, depending on availability in my local supermarket.

Ingredients for Spaghetti Carbonara

• 400g/14oz dried spaghetti
• 175g/6¼oz piece smoked pancetta, rind removed
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• handful flatleaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
• 3 large free-range eggs, beaten
• 50g/1¾oz pecorino sardo maturo (mature Sardinian pecorino), finely grated
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

1. Bring 4.5 litres/8 pints water to the boil in a large saucepan with eight teaspoons salt. Add the spaghetti and cook for nine minutes, or until al dente.

2. Meanwhile, cut the pancetta into lardons (short little strips), about 6mm/1¼in wide.

3. Heat a large, deep frying pan over a medium-high heat, add the oil and the pancetta and fry until lightly golden. Add the garlic and parsley and cook for a few seconds, then remove from the heat and set aside.

4. Drain the spaghetti well, tip into the frying pan with the pancetta, garlic and parsley, add the beaten eggs and half the grated pecorino cheese and toss together well.

5. Season to taste with a little salt and black pepper. The heat from the spaghetti will be sufficient to partly cook the egg, but still leave it moist and creamy. Take to the table and serve in warmed pasta bowls, sprinkled with the rest of the cheese.

Truly delicious! Do you have a go to pasta recipe that you enjoy, let me know by email or comment I love to try new quick pasta recipes.