Spaghetti Carbonara With Bacon

Rich, creamy carbonara. Yum! I've made carbonara wrong so many times. Here is my take on how to get it right.

Carbonara is my go-to dinner when I've made a dessert requiring egg whites and I don't know what to do with the egg yolks.

A few tips before we get started.

First and foremost, because this dish is largely egg based, use good eggs! Maybe it goes without saying but there is nothing wrong with a good reminder :)
Use room temperature eggs.
Set yourself up for success by letting time work for you. Let's say your pasta requires 8 minutes to cook. While your bacon and garlic need about 4 minutes. Start cooking your bacon and garlic halfway through the cook time of your pasta so that way you can add it directly to the pan when it's ready. This way you don't risk overcooking your pasta. As a fail-safe, It's always better to cook the bacon too soon than to cook the pasta too long. If the bacon is finished before the pasta, just remove it from the heat only to return it about a minute before the pasta is ready.
Work quickly, stir constantly.
Set up your bowl of egg and cheese mixture in a way that prevents the bowl from moving or ask for another hand in the kitchen.
Do not cook on high heat! Cooking on high heat or adding the egg mixture to a pan that is directly on the hot burner will cause your eggs to scramble.
When adding the egg mixture to the pasta, completely remove the saucepan from the heat. Step away from the stove and bring it the counter where you placed your egg mixture. This way you can move from one stage to the next effortlessly.
Something to ease your mind. To kill salmonella in an egg the temperature must reach 160°F (71°C). Water will boil at 212°F (100 °C) so by removing the pasta water directly from the pot and slowing adding it to your egg mixture, you are tempering the eggs, thus cooking them. Continued cooking on the stove top will aid in thickening the sauce and cooking it further but only a few minutes are necessary.

Spaghetti Carbonara with Bacon

1 pound (450 g) Dried Spaghetti or I used 300 g Linguine (not traditional, I know, but it’s all I had and it was delicious)

4 Cloves Garlic, minced

4 Strips Bacon, cut into small pieces

4 Egg Yolks

2 Whole Eggs

1 Cup (100g) Parmesan Cheese

¼ tsp Pepper

¼ Cup Pasta Water

3 ½ Tbsp (50g) Butter

Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.
In a medium nonstick skillet, over medium heat, add a couple tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and cook bacon until it begins to firm up but not crisp. Add the garlic and cook until soft about 1- 2 minutes.
In a medium bowl, combine egg yolks, whole eggs, parmesan, and pepper. Mix well and set aside on top of a towel, silicon pad or even an oven mitt with rubber grips. You need the bowl to stay in place while you temper your eggs later on.
If the bacon has rendered a lot of fat, remove some but not all, with a paper towel. You want a couple tablespoons remaining in the bottom of the pan.
Once the pasta is ready do not drain it. Turn off the heat and with tongs, scoop the pasta out and place directly into the pan of bacon and mix will. Remove the skillet from the heat but do not turn off your burner.
Time to temper the eggs. Grab a whisk, ¼ cup of pasta water and move over to your bowl of eggs and cheese. Whisking and pouring simultaneously, add the pasta water in a steady stream down the side of the bowl, as to not directly touch the eggs.
Once incorporated, add the egg mixture to the pasta in the saucepan and mix well with tongs.
Add the butter and place the saucepan back on the heat, stirring constantly.
Cook until the sauce thickens, just until it begins to leave smooth streaks on the bottom of the pan. 1-2 minutes should do.
Place in a serving dish (leaving the pasta in the pan while serving can cause the sauce to scramble) and serve immediately.