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Fettuccine Carbonara with Peas

Source of Recipe

"Once Upon A Chef: Weeknight/Weekend" by Jennifer Segal


Recipe Introduction

"Carbonara is a traditional Italian pasta dish made with egg, grated cheese, cured pork, and lots of black pepper. This version isn't quite authentic—I don't think you'll find a single Italian chef who puts shallots or peas in their carbonara—but it's a cozy all-in-one supper that you can whip up in 20 minutes, and you know anything with crispy bacon is bound to please."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 2 large eggs
â—¦ 2 large egg yolks
â—¦ ¾ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
â—¦ Heaping ½ teaspoon salt
â—¦ ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ ½ pound thick-cut bacon (about 6 slices), diced
â—¦ ½ cup minced shallot (from 1 large shallot)
â—¦ 3 cloves garlic, minced
â—¦ 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
â—¦ 1 pound fettuccine, preferably fresh (from the refrigerator case)


Recipe

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt, and pepper.

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon, stirring frequently, until crispy, 7 to 9 minutes. Turn off the heat, and using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Pour off and discard all but about 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat. Let the pan cool for a minute or so and then set over low heat. Add the shallot and cook until softened, a few minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the peas and cook until just warmed through, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

Cook the fettuccine according to the package instructions for al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain and return the fettuccine to the pot.

Whisking constantly, add â…” cup of the hot reserved pasta water to the egg-cheese mixture (whisking vigorously will prevent the egg from curdling).

Add the pea mixture to the hot fettuccine and set the pot over medium heat. Using tongs, toss for 1 to 2 minutes, or until evenly combined and hot. Off the heat, immediately pour the egg mixture over the pasta and peas and toss to combine (it may seem too wet at first, but the sauce will continue to thicken as you toss). Stir in the bacon, then taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. If the pasta seems dry, add the remaining pasta cooking water, little by little, until creamy. If it seems too liquidy, set the pot over very low heat and toss constantly until the sauce is thickened. Serve immediately.

Serves 4



• Heads Up:
When making carbonara, it's important that the pasta is very hot when combining it with the sauce, as the heat from the pasta finishes cooking the raw eggs. However, this should be done off the heat because if the pan is too hot, the eggs will scramble.