Linguine Carbonara with Bacon, Butter and Booze

Before I begin the discussion of my latest recipe, let me explain why I’m not profiling Italy in my Around the World in Eighty Bites project – definitely not because I don’t want to honor my Italian readers, but it seems redundant, considering that 90% of my culinary knowledge centers around Italian food and 80% of my recipes are either Italian or Italian-inspired.  I wouldn’t even know where to begin!  Making me choose one recipe to represent Italy would be like making me choose between The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, so instead of cooking one representative dish, I’ll just give one big grazie to my Italian readers and express my envy that they get to live where pecorino and prosciutto are made! 

This weekend, I made biscotti, which requires egg whites.  In turn, I had egg yolks left over.  Not one to waste food, I needed to come up with a recipe using those egg yolks, and I decided on Linguine Carbonara.    

Carbonara is a very popular, very rich dish characterized by the presence of cured pork, eggs, cheese, and lots and lots of black pepper.  It is traditionally made with spaghetti, but any long pasta can be used.  Some versions use cream, some do not.  The type of pork used varies; some cooks use pancetta, some use guanciale, and some use plain old all-purpose bacon.  Americanized versions of the dish tend to feature other ingredients, such as grilled chicken, mushrooms, or peas, but these are not used in the Italian version.  My version stays closer to the traditional Italian recipe, and it includes Italian bacon (pancetta), butter, and booze!  Where I stray is in the addition of the egg at the end – in the traditional version, the raw egg is added at the last minute and cooked no further, letting the heat from the pasta cook the egg.  In my version, the egg and wine are added together, which requires an extra minute of cooking to guarantee that the egg cooks through.  You do not have to use only the eggs’ yolks for this recipe; I did so because I had them.  Whole eggs also work fine, and using whole eggs will result in a lighter texture than using mainly yolks.  Because this dish is extremely rich, a small serving goes a long way. 

Linguine Carbonara

1 pound linguine

½ stick butter

4 oz. pancetta, sliced into small strips

1 small onion, minced

1 whole egg + 2 egg yolks (you can substitute two whole eggs)

2 T. dry white wine

2 T. coarsely ground black pepper

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Salt to taste

Cook the pasta.  In the meantime, melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large, heavy bottomed pan large enough to accommodate all the cooked pasta.  Once the butter has melted, add the pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, for about 2-4 minutes.  Once the edges begin to crisp, lower the heat, and add the onion and cook for another minute or so until the onion turns translucent. 

While the pancetta and onion cook, place the egg and yolk in a small bowl.  Add the wine and pepper, and beat with a fork or a small whisk until the ingredients are completely blended.  Set aside. 

Once the pasta has cooked, drain it and add it to the pan with the pancetta and onion.  Add the cheese and salt, and stir until the cheese is melted.  Now, slowly add the egg/wine mixture, constantly tossing the pasta, until each strand is coated with the mixture.  Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the egg begins to firm up and adhere to the pasta.  Serve immediately.