Spaghetti Alla Carbonara

Well this dish started with a meh, and ended with a mmmm?  Initially there was a bitterness that I wasn't digging.  I still am not sure what.  There is also a lot of black pepper and I am not a huge fan of aggressive pepper.  All that made my initial impression of this dish less than favorable.  In the end I was won over.  I think there is some tweaking to be done, but we all decided we wanted to have this again. It is a pretty quick one; it isn't the fastest dish ever but not a super long cook time which is always a plus.


Spaghetti Alla Carbonara

Kosher salt
1    Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
4 oz fatty pancetta or guanciale sliced 1/4 inch thick and cut into 1-1/2
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c  diced red onion
2    large eggs,chilled
1/2 lb imported dried spaghetti (Setaro brand,avaiable online was reccomended)
1/2 c  lightly packed,freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
[Note: http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/authentic-italian-
spaghetti-carbonara.aspx  ]
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat.
In a 10-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the
pancetta or guanciale and 1/2 tsp. pepper and cook, stirring
occasionally, until golden and beginning to crisp, about 5 minutes. (If
the meat is browning too quickly, reduce the heat to medium low.) Add
the onion and continue to cook until its soft and golden and the meat
is crisp, about 5 minutes more.
Remove the pan from the heat and carefully spoon off all but about 2
Tbs.   of the fat. Add 1 Tbs. water to the pan and scrape any brown
bits from the bottom.
Beat the eggs in a small bowl until smooth and set aside.
Cook the spaghetti in the boiling water according to package directions
until its just shy of al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water
and drain the spaghetti. Transfer the spaghetti to the skillet, set it
over medium heat, and toss with tongs to coat the spaghetti with the
fat and finish cooking to al dente, about 1 minute. If the pasta is too
dry or starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, add 1 or 2 tsp. of the
pasta water. You want the bottom of the pan to be just barely wet. If
the pan is too dry, the eggs will scramble when you add them.
Remove the skillet from the heat and pour the eggs over the pasta,
tossing quickly and continuously until the eggs thicken and turn to the
consistency of a thin custard, 30 seconds to 1 minute. (Tossing
constantly is important, as it prevents the eggs from scrambling.)
The sauce should be smooth and creamy, and it should cling to the pasta.
Add a little more pasta water if necessary to loosen the sauce. Stir
in the Parmigiano and season to taste with salt and pepper (you may not
need additional salt, as both guanciale and pancetta can be very salty).
Serve immediately.
From Fine Cooking 92 , pp. 57
March 12, 2008