Recipe

Pasta Un-Carbonara

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Photo by Oui, Chef

This recipe was entered in the contest for The Recipe You Want To Be Remembered For
thehappycook's Testing Notes: This un-carbonara recipe combines all the elements of a delicious simple and tasty pasta sauce; bacon, egg, cheese, cream and a little pimenton to add a spicy kick. It's exceptionally simple...
This un-carbonara recipe combines all the elements of a delicious simple and tasty pasta sauce; bacon, egg, cheese, cream and a little pimenton to add a spicy kick. It's exceptionally simple to make, although the eggs do take a fair amount of babysitting. That being said, the results are certainly worth the effort. I found moderating the temperature was most easily done by popping in an ice cube when the temperature rose to 141°F. It's fun to experiment with a new technique, and it was simple enough to keep an eye on it while prepping the rest of the ingredients. I like my sauces a little more on the thick side, so didn't add much of the pasta water and there was still enough sauce left for my bread to soak up! - thehappycook

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Chef
Oui, Chef's Notes: As a cook, I’d love to be remembered as someone who took inspiration from my culinary heritage, but also relished making dishes my own, by not feeling shackled by recipes, but rather enjoying...
As a cook, I’d love to be remembered as someone who took inspiration from my culinary heritage, but also relished making dishes my own, by not feeling shackled by recipes, but rather enjoying the freedom to apply skills I’ve acquired over the years to bring new techniques and ingredients to my cooking. I’d also like to be remembered for the time I’ve spent cooking with my family, teaching my kids a few things about cooking before they head out on their own in the world.

This dish, our twist on Spaghetti Carbonara spoke to both of these things, and therefor fit the bill of this week’s challenge nicely. A family favorite that gives a nod to my Italian culinary roots, but veers from the traditional in substantive ways, it’s a dish that was born out of experimentation with my clan, one that the kids not only helped to re-define, but ultimately learned how to make themselves. And the best part just might be the fact that it’s finished with an element that the kids and I learned together just for this dish (David Chang’s “just” poached egg), how cool is that.

This is not a “carbonara” in the true sense as the real deal is always made with spaghetti, and NEVER with cream or herbs and spices other than salt and lots of black pepper. What this dish IS, is a treat that takes the basic elements of a carbonara, eggs, bacon, cheese and pasta and spins them into a familiar, yet unique play on the classic. The sauce is fortified with shallot, rosemary, cream, butter, parmesan and pimenton, the guanciale, cut into thick lardons is seared to a perfect chewy-crisp. The final flourish is the egg, poached a la Chef Chang to yield a just-set globe of deliciousness that dissolves completely when each diner “finishes” the dish themselves by stirring the egg among the bite-sized bits of sauce enrobed pasta.....a little bit of magic on a plate. - Oui, Chef

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Serves 6

6 large, free-range organic eggs Ask a question about this ingredient

2 tablespoons finely minced shallot Ask a question about this ingredient

1 tablespoon finely minced fresh rosemary Ask a question about this ingredient

1 large garlic clove, finely minced Ask a question about this ingredient

1/8 teaspoon pimenton (smoked paprika) Ask a question about this ingredient

2 cups heavy cream Ask a question about this ingredient

1 stick, unsalted butter Ask a question about this ingredient

1 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan-reggiano cheese, plus peeled strips for garnish Ask a question about this ingredient

12 ounces guanciale (or thickly sliced pancetta) cut into lardons Ask a question about this ingredient

1 pound small shelled pasta (we use Lumachine) Ask a question about this ingredient

Finely minced parsley for garnish Ask a question about this ingredient

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Ask a question about this ingredient

For the eggs, place a cooling rack or steamer insert (I used my tamis) in the bottom of a large pot or deep baking pan, fill with hot water, insert a fry thermometer, and place on stove over medium heat. Bring temperature to 140 to 145 ℉ degrees, then turn the heat to the lowest setting possible and add eggs (still in their shells). They must stay on the rack and not touch the bottom of the pan. Maintain the temperature within this range, checking frequently and adjusting the flame as needed, and cook the eggs for 40-45 minutes. We were lucky, our combination of using a large Le Creuset dutch oven, the tamis, and the lowest possible flame on the range kept the temperature just over 140 ℉ with very little babysitting. Test an egg after 40 minutes by cracking into a small bowl, if the white is cooked, the egg is done. If not, try another in 5 minutes. When the eggs are done, use immediately, or let sit on the counter to cool slightly while you pull the rest of the dish together.
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While the eggs are poaching, place a large skillet over medium heat, and cook the guanciale in a fine slick of olive oil until nicely browned, but before it has rendered all of its fat, you want it to be crispy-chewy. Remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon and reserve. Pour off any excess fat in the pan, then set it aside to use later. Put a medium sized sauce pan over medium heat and toss in 2 tablespoons of the butter and the minced shallot, cook until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, rosemary and pimenton, and stir for about 2-3 minutes. Whisk in the cream and bring to a gentle boil, reduce the heat to low, then whisk in the balance of the butter in chunks until it is fully integrated. Pour the grated cheese in slowly, whisking all the while until it is fully melted and the mix is smooth. Mix with an immersion blender until silky smooth, then season to taste with salt and black pepper, remove from heat, cover and reserve.
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Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water per the manufacturers instructions for an al-dente texture. When done, drain well (reserving a cup of cooking water to thin your sauce later in needed), and pour the pasta into the large skillet in which you cooked the guanciale. Add the cream sauce and guanciale and place over a low-medium heat to warm through, tossing to mix well. Season to taste with more salt and pepper if desired.
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To plate, spoon the pasta mix into a heated bowl, break a poached egg in the center, top with parmesan shavings, minced parsley and freshly ground black pepper. Just before eating, encourage all to stir the egg into the pasta until it melts completely.
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27 Comments on Pasta Un-Carbonara

blanka.n added about 1 year ago

I hate to be a naysayer here - you have a new twist on carbonara - but it's way too much cream. 1 cup maybe. Carbonara is so delicate - mine tastes differently each time I make it - depending on the pancetta brand, parm brand, saltiness of ingredients etc., the amount of cream or no cream (sometimes I don't have it) I like the idea of rosemary - that I might try next time.

cookinginvictoria added about 1 year ago

Wow -- as someone with Italian roots, this looks like perfection on a plate. I would not at all send the food police after you for using cream in a carbonara-style dish. That egg poaching technique sounds amazing. I will have to try it with this recipe, and on its own. I also wanted to say that your head note is lovely -- I especially like how you are teaching your children about cooking and that they are finding their own way in the kitchen. Love how they helped create this dish with you. I am trying to teach my own six year old daughter about the pleasures of food and the fun of cooking!

gingerroot added about 1 year ago

This sounds amazing! Love that it is the product of you and your children in the kitchen. Will definitely be trying this soon, thank you for another wonderful recipe, Oui, Chef!