Carbonara Revisited
I previously posted my recipe for Carbonara for One, and I’ve received a number of compliments from people over the last year. Since then, I’ve tweaked the recipe ever so slightly, as well as figured out the best way to scale (since I now very rarely make it for only one person). While I’m still always tweaking, this might be the definitive version. I’m generally making for 3-4 people so all my measurements are based on that.
Are you more of a visual learner? Than follow along with me as I make the recipe in the first (and only) episode of my show COVID COOKING.
Ingredients
1 Egg Yolk per person/serving
2 rashers of bacon per person/serving (guanciale is the authentic version, pancetta is more common, but I find bacon gives the best flavour)
Rigatoni - I leave the serving size up to you; I tend to measure out a bowl per person (I know spaghetti is the more traditional noodle, but I like how the sauce clings to the rigatoni and hides in the holes)
At least 1/4 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese per serving; I generally just use 1 cup regardless (yes, pecorino is more authentic, but I prefer parmesan)
Half an onion (depending on size and how many servings you’re making - I find half tends to be enough for serving 3 people)
2-4 cloves of garlic depending on size
Black pepper to taste (but you should use more than you think you should)
Carbonara for One (Very Hungry Person, or Two Normal People)
Put on a pot of salter water to boil and heat oil in medium frying pan
While water is heating, dice 2-4 (depending on size) cloves of garlic
Dice onion
Grate lots of Parm. No, like lots of Parm.
Dice bacon
Sauté onion until soft and translucent
Once onion has softened add garlic, and sauté until fragrant
Remove onion/garlic mixture to plate - at this point your water should hopefully be up to boil
Add rigatoni to salted water and set timer (package said 12 minutes, I found 10 to be sufficient)
While pasta is cooking add bacon to pan used for onion/garlic, and sauté until crisp
While bacon is cooking, crack egg yolks into a bowl, add lots of black pepper and the parmesan
Mix egg/cheese together - it will form a thick paste, so I just do it with a spatula. If it’s not a thick paste you probably need more cheese
Once bacon is cooked remove with slotted spoon reserving rendered fat in pan, and be sure to remove the pan from the heat, allowing the oil to cool slightly (if you’ve timed this right you should have a couple minutes left on your pasta cooking, which means the pan has plenty of time to cool)
Once pasta is cooked, transfer pasta to your pan with the oil using slotted spoon; this will allow a little bit of pasta water to fall into the pan (if you’ve got a spider you can just remove all your pasta with that). Reserve pasta water
Add onion/garlic/bacon to the pan with pasta and stir to combine
Add egg/cheese paste to pan with pasta and stir to combine, until smooth and silky. If things are too thick, add a splash of water (you may not need to add any water, it always varies)
Grate extra black pepper
Serve with lots of parmesan sprinkled on top
This is my go to method, and I’ve passed this recipe along to many friends and it’s a hit every time.