Everyone loves carbonara! It’s fast, requires fewer than ten ingredients, and is truly delicious. Pancetta adds richness, making each bite savory. If you haven’t tried pancetta yet, you really should! I used to substitute bacon for it, as I didn’t have a good local source.
I recently discovered that I can get cured meats—pancetta, prosciutto, and sopressata, for example—at my local deli for a fraction of the cost of prepackaged varieties. I immediately bought some pancetta, wondering whether it would taste noticeably different than bacon. It actually has quite a distinctive taste, less smoky than bacon, more peppery and porky.
Corey surprised me with flowers, and they really brightened up the table. Chicago had a particularly long winter this year, and the flowers remind us that spring is finally here! Carbonara paired with a garden salad is perfect for a spring day.
The Difference between bacon and pancetta:
Bacon and pancetta do have many similarities; in fact, pancetta is sometimes referred to as “Italian bacon.” Both are cured meats made from pork belly. However, pancetta is often cured with salt and spices, including peppercorns, nutmeg, garlic, and herbs. Bacon is typically smoked, whereas pancetta is not. Bacon tends to be eaten alone—though it can be incorporated into many dishes—while pancetta is primarily used as a flavoring base for a wide variety of Italian dishes, especially pastas.
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Carbonara
Print recipe
| Serves | 4 |
| Meal type | Main Dish |
| Region | Italian |
| From book | Classic 30-Minute Meals: The All-Occasion Cookbook |
Ingredients
- 1 Pound rigatoni
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 Pound pancetta (chopped)
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 6 Cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1/2 cup pinot grigio
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
Optional
- 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley (finely chopped)
Directions
| Step 1 | |
| Put a large pot of water on to boil. Add a liberal amount of salt and rigatoni; cook to al dente, about 8 minutes. | |
| Step 2 | |
| Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add oil and pancetta. Brown pancetta 2 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Add wine and stir up all the pan drippings. | |
| Step 3 | |
| Beat yolks, then add ½ cup of the pasta cooking water. This tempers the eggs and keeps them from scrambling when added to the pasta. | |
| Step 4 | |
| Drain pasta well and add it directly to the skillet with pancetta and oil. Pour the egg mixture over the pasta. Toss rapidly to coat the pasta without cooking the egg. Remove pan from heat and add cheese, lots of pepper, and salt to taste. Continue to toss and turn the pasta until it soaks up the egg mixture and thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Garnish with parsley, if desired, and extra cheese. Serve with green salad on the side. | |
