Marcella Hazan's Carbonara Sauce
Spaghetti tossed with eggs, pancetta, Pecorino Romano, Parmigiano-Reggiano, black pepper, and white wine in Marcella Hazan’s classic carbonara sauce.
Ingredients
- ½ lb pancetta, cut into ¼" strips
- 4 whole garlic cloves
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 2 eggs, large
- ¼ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
- freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Lightly smash the garlic and remove the skin. Place the garlic cloves and olive oil into a saucepan and turn the heat to medium.
- Sauté until the garlic is deep gold. Remove the garlic and discard.
- Put the pancetta into the pan and cook until they are your desired crispiness.
- Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Then, turn off the heat.
- Break the eggs into the serving bowl you will use and beat them lightly with a fork.
- Add the cheeses, liberal grindings of pepper, and the chopped parsley. Mix thoroughly.
- When your pasta is nearly complete, briefly reheat the pancetta on the stovetop over high heat.
- Add your cooked, drained pasta to the serving bowl and toss rapidly to coat every strand.
- Empty the pan with pancetta into the serving bowl and mix again.
- Serve immediately.
Time your pasta so that it will finish after all of the above steps have been completed. The pancetta can sit off the heat for as long as needed, but the pasta must be fresh and hot.
Notes
This one is best eaten fresh, since the sauce tightens up more in the refrigerator than some of her other pasta recipes.
If you do reheat leftovers, I’ve had the best results warming it gently on the stovetop with a small splash of water to loosen the sauce again.