Recipe of the Week

I am loving trying out new recipes and having time to cook. I notice I am paying way more attention to quality ingredients and buying locally as much as possible. I love the local produce stand and building an impressive supply of spices. I'm even thinking about an herb garden, but we will see.

My favorite recipe from this week is:

Spaghetti Carbonara
Note: The heat from the hot pasta partly cooks the eggs. If you are concerned about eating raw or undercooked eggs, use 1/2 cup pasteurized eggs in lieu of fresh.
2 eggs
3 oz parmesan cheese
1/2 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more for garnish
1/4 lb pancetta or thin-cut bacon
2 cloves garlic
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tbsp salt
1 lb spaghetti or spaghettini

Put a large pot of water on to boil. Meanwhile crack eggs into a large bowl and beat lightly. Finely shred or grate cheese, add 1/2 cup to eggs, and set the rest aside. Finely chop parsley and add to eggs. Add pepper and whisk to combine well. Set aside.

Cut pancetta or bacon into 1/4 in thick slices, peel and chop garlic, and set both aside. Heat olive oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to brown. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add wine and cook until liquid is reduced by about half. Remove from heat and set aside.

When water boils, add salt and spaghetti. Boil pasta until it is tender to the bite. Drain well and immediately pour pasta into bowl with egg mixture (the heat from the pasta will partly cook the egg and melt the cheese). Pour pancetta mixture on top of pasta and toss to combine thoroughly. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!