Putting The Carb In Carbonara

It's a weeknight.

You know you want to cook at home, but you might just not feel like it. Meh!!!!!

It's not news that pasta is humanity's weeknight staple. 

Carbonara is no exception. It's basically bacon-egg-and-cheese spaghetti. But it's not that simple. It's also very rich and can leave you feeling like you just ate mac n cheese for dinner afterwards (not that there's anything wrong with that). 

This carbonara recipe is finished with lemon zest + juice to brighten things up a bit. We used bucatini because it's slightly more substantial than spaghetti, and thus holds up a bit better to a creamy, glossy pasta sauce. But spaghetti is fine. It's all fine.

No guanciale? Use bacon instead. Life is about compromise. 

(serves 2 hungry people, or 4 desperate housewives)

Ingredients:

-12 oz. bucatini or other long pasta

-2 tbsp EVOO or garlic confit (better)

-6 oz. guanciale, bacon, prosciutto, whatever but sliced into 1/2" thick bits

-2 oz. parm + 1 oz. pecorino, freshly grated

-1 large shallot, or two small ones, finely diced

-3 cloves garlic, finely diced

-3 egg yolks

-1 tsp. lemon zest, freshly grated

-2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed

-a shit ton of black pepper, freshly cracked

-kosher salt, to taste

Method:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook bacon-ish thing, stirring regularly, until browned. Add shallots + garlic. 

2. Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining, please for the love of god.

3. Add pasta to skillet, along with half your pasta water and cheese and stir. Remove from heat and fold in egg yolks + lemon zest. Return to heat and add remaining cheese and water as needed. Add lemon juice, black pepper and salt to taste. 

4. Garnish with extra lemon zest and pepper and cheese and SERVE.