Spaghetti alla Carbonara

~I suspect one of the main reasons why I love cooking is that substitutions can be made; ingredients can be adjusted; and a dish can almost always be “fixed”. In reading el Bulli’s The Family Meal, I was inspired to make pasta carbonara.  Carbonara is a simple Italian dish based on bacon fried in olive oil, then tossed with hot pasta, and finished off with sauce composed of eggs and cheese.  I tried.  I really did.  But apparently, I am terrible at following directions. My carbonara is not el Bulli’s, but it is no less tasty.  A lush, creamy pasta infused with rich cheese and bacon.  It is important to note that this is a dish which must be served immediately.  Within minutes, the sauce will break.

Ingredients:

12 oz thick cut bacon- sliced

6 AA large brown egg yolks

¾ cup whipping cream

8 oz mascarpone

1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (set aside small portion for garnish)

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

fresh ground pepper

16 oz spaghetti

1 ½ tbsp salt

Directions:

1. In a medium pot of boiling water, cook pasta with salt until al dente.
2. While pasta is cooking, set a large inverted sauce pan on medium heat.
3. Add olive oil and cook bacon until lightly browned.
4. Add cream and mascarpone to pan and let simmer for approximately 15min. Stir occasionally to mix in mascarpone.
5. Once pasta is cooked, drain and add pasta immediately into pan. (Pasta does not need to be thoroughly drained.)
6. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks and add to pasta.  Mix thoroughly. 
7. Turn off heat. Add most of grated cheese and fresh ground pepper to pasta. Mix thoroughly. 
8. Dish into individual pasta bowls. Garnish with remainder of Parmigiano-Reggiano and more fresh ground pepper. Serve immediately.