Quote:
Originally Posted by Gogar
Bucatini alla carbonara, my first try. I'll give it a 6 or 7!
I was a little nervous about not overcooking the egg and I should've added some pasta water. The sauce is a little too tight.
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I made a batch of fettucine alla carbonara tonight (I know, it's sacrilegious to not use spaghetti...) and I remembered your comments from a week or two ago, so I decided to take a few minutes and give you some advice on this.
You don't have to fear overcooking the egg, if you prepare it in the way the Italians do. Get a large bowl to mix the cooked pasta in (warm it a little if you want, or don't) and put your beaten eggs in there, along with the pecorino and parmesan cheeses. Grind some cracked pepper into the bowl and mix all this up thoroughly. When the pasta is done, transfer it from the pot to the bowl with a pasta ladle. Mix the hell out of the pasta until the cheese is all melted, add the meat (pancetta, bacon, whatever) and mix it in, then serve it immediately.
If you use enough cheese and there's enough rendered fat from the meat, you should end up with a pretty creamy sauce. There will be a little pasta water in there too, as the pasta won't be as perfectly drained when you transfer it as it would be if you drained it in a colander. Don't ever mix the pasta and the sauce ingredients in the pan you cooked the meat in. Too much heat in the pan; the pasta has plenty of residual heat to do the job.
Buon appetito, baby...
JR