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Penne Carbonara Pasta

Penne Carbonara Recipe

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 720
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb penne rigate
  • 6 oz pancetta, diced small
  • 3 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
  • 1 cup finely grated Parmesan
  • 1/2 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano
  • 1 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
  • Kosher salt

Method
 

  1. Boil penne in heavily salted water until 1 minute short of al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
  2. Cook pancetta in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp and golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat, keeping the fat in the pan.
  3. Whisk eggs, yolks, both cheeses, and black pepper until a thick paste forms.
  4. Add drained pasta to the skillet and toss off heat. Wait 30 seconds, then pour the egg mixture over and toss vigorously, adding pasta water a little at a time until the sauce is glossy and creamy. Serve immediately.

Notes

The sauce depends on speed and residual heat. Have your egg mixture and reserved water right by the stove so you never pause during the final toss. If the pasta cools too much, the eggs won’t cook into a smooth sauce.