2017-531 ‘Spaghett Carbonara SUBSCRIBE May 4, 2008 FOOD & DRINK Spaghetti Carbonara The crux of this dish from Frank Criso is the three p's: pancetta, smoked pancetta, and prosciutto. Yes, please. BY FRANCINE MAROUKIAN Nigel Cox By the time I went to culinary school, I'd already come up through the kitchen ranks, working in Italian restaurants around Philly. But my dad was a plumber, so I also grew up with a wrench in my hand, learning how to fix things. Recipes are no different. You have to tinker with a dish until it works for you. In traditional spaghetti alla carbonara, egg yolk is added to the hot pasta and starts to cook on contact. Unless you're eating immediately, the carbonara becomes gluey. You can be engrossed in conversation, and by the time you're ready to take a bite, the whole bowl of pasta seems to come up with your fork. I use a poached egg on top of the pasta instead. The yolk is already warm when it hits the noodles, so they blend tap hwwrw esi. conv ood-drnkoodecipes/a6ten'spagheli-cerbonara-ecipe-I-1107/ w2ovrsst soap Corbonera easier — it gives it richness without binding. I made a few other tweaks so the dish doesn't feel quite so heavy, like adding frisée lettuce for texture and sharp pecorino Romano to balance the Parmigiano-Reggiano, which is buttery. But the heart of the dish is the three p's: pancetta, smoked pancetta (it's okay to substitute smoked bacon), and prosciutto di San Daniele. Unlike prosciutto from Parma, typically salted for four weeks, Daniele is salted for only three, leaving the ham moist and a little sweeter. In Italian, carbonara translates as "coal." The story is that miners (who always had cured pork in their knapsacks) cooked it over open fires and the charcoals would flake off and seater across the pasta. I use coarsely ground black pepper instead. —Frank Crispo Ingredients Serves 2 + 8 to 10 oz dried spaghetti * 2oz thickly sliced pancetta, cut into 1/2-inch dice + 20z thickly sliced smoked pancetta or 2 slices smoked slab bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice * 20z prosciutto di San Daniele (substitute di Parma), cut into 1/2-inch dice + 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth + 1cup frisée lettuce, chopped + 3 tbsp Italian parsley, chopped + Coarse salt and ground black pepper + 1tbsp unsalted butter + 2tbsp extra-virgin olive oil + 1/3 cup grated Parmigiano mixed with \4 cup grated pecorino Romano (preferably Locatelli) + 2extra large eggs Poaching liquid: + 2 cups cold water mixed with 3 oz (6 tbsp) white vinegar and 1/4 tsp kosher salt Instructions 1. Ina gallon of abundantly salted water, cook pasta until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain but do not rinse. 2. Bring egg-poaching liquid to boil and leave on low heat. 3. In large tap hwwrw esi. conv ood-drnkoodecipes/a6ten'spagheli-cerbonara-ecipe-I-1107/20171 soap Corbonera (a2-inch) sauté pan over moderately low heat, cook diced pork until fat renders and meat is slightly crisp, about 10 minutes. Add broth and simmer to reduce by 1/3, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add lettuce and parsley and salt and pepper. Add drained pasta, raise heat to high, and toss to coat with sauce. Add butter and olive oil and toss until pasta is well coated. Turn off heat, sprinkle in cheese, and toss. Evenly divide pasta between two warm serving bowls. 4. Working one at a time, carefully crack each egg into a small bowl and very gently slide into barely boiling poaching liquid. Cook until whites set but yolks are still runny, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, lift each egg out of the water. Tip: After you lift the egg, if you touch the back of the slotted spoon to a kitchen towel, it willl lose the excess water clinging to the bottom. To serve: Place an egg atop each bowl of pasta. Add a generous grind of black pepper. Eat immediately, mixing up the pasta to spread the egg and yolk throughout the bowl. Frank Crispo is the chef and owner of Crispo in New York City. MORE RECIPES LIKE THIS Bourbon Baked Beans Spaghetti All'Amatriciana MORE FROM FOOD tap hwwrw esi. conv ood-drnkoodecipes/a6ten'spagheli-cerbonara-ecipe-I-1107/2017-531 ‘Spaghett Carbonara Why Befriending a Butcher Is This Summer's Taco Bell Just Made the Crunchwrap Even Power Move Better Ben & Jerry's Is Recalling Ice Cream Fora —_This Is What Setting a Ghost Pepper Record Scary Reason Looks Like tap hwwrw esi. conv ood-drnkoodecipes/a6ten'spagheli-cerbonara-ecipe-I-1107/ anaorrsst Spaghet Carbonara Need Cash? Save Your Fast Food Grease Like Try This New Scrambled Eggs Hack, Because a Weirdo Scrambled Eggs Are Important How to Crack an Egg Without Looking Like an How to Make the Perfect Glazed Turkey Idiot Sandwich Why San Francisco Chefs Are Obsessed with The Best Wing Spot In Every State This Pho FOOD & DRINK FOOD FEATURES RECIPES FOR MEN BACON THE MAN WHO DRESSES THE NBA WILL NOW BE DRESSING YOU THE MAN WHO LITERALLY BUILT ‘STAR WARS" tap hwwrw esi. conv ood-drnkoodecipes/a6ten'spagheli-cerbonara-ecipe-I-1107/2017-531 Spaghett Carbonara THE HOLD STEADY'S 10 ROCK ALBUMS EVERY MAN SHOULD OWN MATTHEW WEINER BETS ON MIXED REVIEWS FOR THE END OF MAD MEN v MORE FROM FOOD Eaquait= fy st a Newsletter Digital Editions ‘About Us Media Kit Press Room Contact Us Community Guidelines ‘Aivertise Online ‘About Our Ads Customer Service ‘Subscribe Other Hearst Subscriptions Give a Gift Events & Promotions BestProducts Giveaways Being Green Why Did | Get This Ad? APART OF HEARST DIGITAL MEDIA Esquire participates in varios affiliate marketing programs, which means Esquire gets paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites. ©2017 Hearst Communications, Ine ll Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy Your California Privacy Rights Terms of Use Site Map tap hwwrw esi. conv ood-drnkoodecipes/a6ten'spagheli-cerbonara-ecipe-I-1107/2017-531 ‘Spaghett Carbonara tap hwwrw esi. conv ood-drnkoodecipes/a6ten'spagheli-cerbonara-ecipe-I-1107/ ca