Pasta Simmers on the Stove in June...Makes No Sense, But It Will Soon...

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Thank you, Purple One. For this posts title.

I just realized I’m making a lot of pasta lately but....I don’t really care? Anyway, I wanted something quick and filling. Creamy but light. Flavorful but simple. I was stuck between doing scampi and something else, so I chose carbonara.

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I became slightly obsssed with carbonara (or what I thought carbonara was) from my stint at America’s favorite “Italian” restaurant.

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Carbonara is one of those things that is so ridiculously easy and quick to make but also very, very easy to mess up. I’m gonna tell you now, this started off as an authentic carbonara, but I did slightly modify it at the end. Sue me. It was delicious.

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STUFF YOU NEED

• ​​Salt
  
• 2 large eggs and 2 large yolks, room temperature
• 1/3 packed cup grated pecorino Romano (if you can find it)
• 2/3 packed cup grated Parmesan
• Ground black pepper
• Olive oil
• Pancetta or bacon, cubed or sliced
• Spaghetti or similar pasta
• Maybe some heavy cream if you a cheater like me

• A pot to make pasta in
• A skillet/pan
• Um...a spoon, some tongs, some sorta utensils
• A bowl

Okay, so I only found shaved Parmesan, but no worries! I pulsed mine in the blender for a few seconds and broke it up. You can also just smush it up with your hands tbh.

I found my pancetta at Da Sto (look in your nicer grocery stores, near the deli department). I usually have some that I order online though. Also, if you can’t find any, use some good thick cut bacon!

Render ya meat down. I do mine on bout medium heat. Slower and lower is better, because you’re not looking to burn it or get it TOO crispy, you want the fat to melt down or become as translucent as possible. Pancetta also has a habit of drying out easily, so just keep an eye on it, and stir. I say about 5-8 minutes. More or less. Once that’s done, turn your pan off or on the lowest setting.

While your meat is cooking, you should put your pasta on to cook! Nice pot of salted, boiling water. PLEASE DONT ADD OIL. OIL AND WATER DONT MIX, AND IT STICKS TO YOUR PASTA SO THE SAUCE WONT. Thank you.
Cook until al dente, and save about a cup or so of pasta water. Set aside.

In a cup or bowl (I like my glass measuring cup so I can easily mix and pour), beat your eggs, add the majority of your cheese(s), a lil teetee of salt (you don’t need much because your bacon/pancetta should be good and salty, as well as your cheese), and almost too much pepper. Mix em up real nice like.

Now here is the slightly scary part. But here is how I did it.

• In your pancetta pan, toss your pasta in there and incorporate.
• Pour your egg and cheese mixture into this same pan while stirring. You want to incorporate everything very well into it. You may use less or more of the mixture depending on what you like, personally I’d probably do a bit less than what this recipe calls for.
• You want the residual heat from the pan, meat, and pasta to cook the egg and thicken the sauce WITHOUT scrambling the egg.
• If it gets too thick, add a bit of your pasta water until it gets to be creamy.
• Add more salt, more pepper, and more cheese to taste.

Now, I added shrimp to mine because why not. BUT, the water content of the shrimp watered down my sauce a bit more than I wanted, so, i turned my pan on to medium low, and added a bit of heavy cream until it thickened. Stir, stir, stir though because, nobody wants scrambled eggs in they pasta.


Id lowkey probably eat it though. Just saying.

Dassit. Ain’t no thang to it, but to do it. Don’t be afraid that you’re gonna eat raw egg. Don’t be afraid your sauce won’t come together. You are not aloneeeeee *MJ Voice* This is literally such a quick, easy meal. And it’s worth it.

Lemme know wha y’all boy think though. Drop a comment or sumpin.
Holla at ya gwalla, and y’all boy Stay Mixxy.

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