by Eric Liftin
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Photo by Sarah Shatz
A&M's Testing Notes:
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1 pound
dried spaghetti
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1 pound
bacon
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10 ounces
frozen peas (1 package)
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4
eggs
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1 cup
fresh grated parmesan
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Start cooking the pasta (I have long subscribed to the less-water method Harold McGee addresses here).
Ask the hotline about this step!Take the bacon out of the package, cold out of the refrigerator, and cut across the slices into 1/2" wide blocks. Cook in a skillet over medium heat, stirring and breaking up the blocks with a wooden spoon.
Ask the hotline about this step!Dump the peas into a Pyrex bowl with a little water and microwave 3-4 minutes, until they are warm, stirring halfway through.
Ask the hotline about this step!While all the cooking is going on, Mix the egg, parmesan, and pepper (to taste - it's best to use a lot, but for kids, maybe less) in a large bowl. It should have the consistency of thick batter.
Ask the hotline about this step!When the pasta is done, drain it quickly. Don't linger, as it's good to capture some of the water. Dump the steaming spaghetti into the egg mixture, and agitate well to cook the egg. Add the bacon with a slotted spoon. Some purists will just empty the skillet into the bowl, but that is too much. Mix in the peas, and you're done. The biggest challenge is to get the bacon and peas mixed in evenly - I recommend steel tongs.
Ask the hotline about this step!Made it tonight. Good recipe -- though I'll need to change proportions next time. Thanks for sharing.
I've been making this recipe for years with one slight difference - add 1/2 cup white wine to the bacon fat. It adds another layer of flavor. Delicious!
Not sure about the authenticity but a little shallot or garlic mixed with olive oil and butter in the hot just emptied pasta pan for a minute, then a little ham works nice and then toss the very al dente pasta in and over high heat keep adding little bits of pasta water..then pull off heat and add egg and parmesan. Makes the sauce bond with the pasta.
I made this last night with half the bacon and chopped kale (added to the pasta in the last few minutes of cooking) instead of peas. Delicious!
Thanks for putting this recipe back in the spotlight! We made it two years ago and loved its tasty simplicity.
I forgot about this recipe! We made it two years ago from this site and loved its tasty simplicity. Thanks for putting it back in the spotlight!
Really fast, easy and really tasty.
had all ingredients in my fridge. Will make again for sure!
I don't cook much so I was trying to find something easy and good. Made a small batch trial for lunch and it was great! I will be making for my new hubby soon. Thanks!
Tried this the other night - it was good, but I agree with morgandrew that it was missing something - it seemed to need more sauce, although I discovered later that a lot of the sauce had percolated down to the bottom of the serving bowl. Perhaps next time I'll try a more textured pasta that will hold the sauce better, and maybe some onion or garlic. Or cream...
I liked this dish. I usually make carbonara with some cream. This was lighter, which was nice, because I was looking for quick dinner but not something extremely heavy. I used wheat pasta and added crushed red pepper for heat.
I needed a quick & easy meal tonight, so I pulled this recipe from my "must try" pile. How have I gone this long without making carbonara? Unlike Amanda, I looooove veggies, so I doubled the peas in this recipe. I used fusilli for the pasta, which made the mixing of bacon & peas easy (no tangles of spaghetti to navigate). Everything was ready within 20 minutes. Delicious!
Pancetta is tastier in this dish because it is not smoked, as is bacon. The way to get pancetta crisp is to put it in a panini press, which will drain the fat into its tray. Just use as much pancetta fat as you like. But I agree, not much for this already fatty dish.
Made for dinner tonight. Lacking something. Needed more flavor somewhere.
I made this tonight and it was a definite hit with my family. Will make this again.
My mom always made carbonara with peas for us kids! I think she skipped the traditional egg (used a little cream to thicken it instead---probably because it was easier), but she added onions, sauteed with the bacon, which I highly recommend.
Just made this for dinner. Loved it. Second night of Food52 meals.
made this for dinner, and we loved it. used whole wheat spaghetti to counter the delicious but unhealthier ingredients. great for a quick meal because it took no time.
made this for dinner, and we loved it. used whole wheat spaghetti to counter the delicious but unhealthier ingredients. great for a quick meal because it took no time.
I love the addition to peas to one of my favorite dishes. Great idea!
We made this last night and it was delicious! Cooking for just two people, so I used about 2/3 a package of whole wheat pasta, about 3/4 or so of a package of bacon and 3/4 cup of parmesan, reduced the amount of peas (about 1/2 pound), and used three eggs instead of four (we ended up with a bit too much anyway, which we were then compelled to eat.....). I also sauteed some diced onions and tossed them in with the peas as someone previously suggested, and added a dash of red pepper flakes. All in all, a superb meal for a nice evening in. Thanks for the recipe!!