Mario Batali's Spaghetti alla Carbonara

My Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Ok so I am Italian ( some may say Uber Italian) and I love pasta. I could eat it every day for multiple meals. Low Carb is simply not in my vocabulary. So I have always wanted to make Spaghetti Carbonara, but have always been too intimidated by the raw egg and it has stopped me from ever trying to make it. Cut to last week and I decided enough was enough after watching my new obsession - ABC's The Chew. They have amazing recipes and tips every day from great chefs like Mario Batali ( Italy's Food Ambassador) and Michael Symon (Ambassador to Bacon.)



I digress- So I did it. I tried Mario's recipe he prepared on the show and it came out perfectly! It was super simple and way easier than I thought it would be. The recipe has you add the egg yolk on the top of the pasta pile as a kind of fancy TADA moment for your guests and I love the way it makes it look, but if you think it will gross out your guests, kids, or husbands just mix it in before serving. No Big Deal. Here is the recipe and the link to their website. You can watch the video of Mario preparing it and learn some history of the recipe!

Spaghetti Alla Carbonara

Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients:
8 ounces guanciale, may substitute pancetta or good bacon
1 pound dry spaghetti
4 eggs, separated
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions:
1. In a 12- to 14-inch sauté pan, render and brown guanciale until crispy and golden. Do not drain fat from pan; set aside.
2. Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons salt. Cook the spaghetti according to the package directions, until tender yet al dente, reserving the pasta cooking water.
3. Reheat the guanciale in the pan with the fat and add approximately 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water to the pan. Toss in the cooked pasta and heat, shaking the pan, for 1 minute. Add the grated cheese, egg whites and black pepper and toss until fully incorporated. Divide the pasta among 4 warmed serving bowls. Make a nest in the center for the egg yolk. Gently drop an egg yolk into each serving, season with more freshly ground black pepper and grate additional cheese over the top. Serve immediately.

Link to the Chew Website to watch Mario in action: http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Mario-Batali-Spaghetti-alla-Carbonara