Spaghetti alla Carbonara

When my husband was a kid, his parents’ close friend, Vinnie, made the world’s best Spaghetti all Carbonara. When Pete speaks of it, his eyes glaze over and he begins to drool. Sadly, Vinnie, passed away years ago and the recipe has remained a mystery. I’ve spent the last several years looking for one that can rival Pete’s childhood memory. Each attempt was too dry, too eggy, too bland or too white. According to Vinnie, “Spaghetti all carbonara is YELLOW, not white”.

Last week I finally struck gold with a recipe from, you guessed it, Cook’s Illustrated. Pete ate four, yes FOUR, servings. The kids and I loved it, too. It was silky creamy, extra flavorful and a beautiful shade of yellow!

I upped the bacon to 3/4 pound (I know my audience). For me, the key(s) to this recipe were warming the serving bowl, mixing the ingredients with extra pasta water and loads of salt. While this isn’t a healthy meal I’d serve on a regular basis, it is a decadent treat worthy of any special occasion. It would also be great for unexpected company because the ingredients are pantry staples.

My search is over. I could kiss whoever wrote this recipe.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 to 1 lb. bacon, sliced halved length-wise, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 3 large eggs
• 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, finely grated (3/4 cup)
• ¾ ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated (about 1/4 cup)
• 3 small cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press or minced to paste
• 1 lb. spaghetti

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, set large heatproof serving bowl on rack, and heat oven to 200 degrees. Bring 4 quarts water to rolling boil in large Dutch oven or stockpot.

2. While water is heating, heat oil in large skillet over medium heat until shimmering, but not smoking. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and crisp, about 8 minutes. Add wine and simmer until alcohol aroma has cooked off and wine is slightly reduced, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm. Beat eggs, cheeses, and garlic together with fork in small bowl; set aside.

3. When water comes to boil, add pasta and 1 tablespoon table salt; stir to separate pasta. Cook until al dente; reserve 1/3 cup pasta cooking water and drain pasta for about 5 seconds, leaving pasta slightly wet. Transfer drained pasta to warm serving bowl; if pasta is dry, add some reserved cooking water (I added 1/3 cup) and toss to moisten. Immediately pour egg mixture over hot pasta, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes or 3/4 teaspoon table salt; toss well to combine. Pour bacon mixture over pasta, season generously with black pepper, and toss well to combine. Serve immediately.

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