Authenic Pasta Carbonara

 

Total Time: Prep--20 min. Cook--15 min.

Servings: 8

Ingredients

1 pkg. (1 lb.) spaghetti or linguine

6 bacon strips, chopped

1 c. fresh or frozen peas

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1-1/2 tsp. grated lemon zest

1 lg. eggs, lightly beaten

2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley

1/2 c. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Additional grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, optional

Directions

1. In a lg. saucepan, cook pasta according to pkg. directions for al dente. Drain pasta, reserving pasta water; keep pasta warm. In same pot, cook bacon over med. heat til crisp, stirring occasionally. Add peas; cook til just heated thru.

2. Add pasta to pot; toss to combine. Stir in remaining ingredients, adding enough reserved pasta water for sauce to reach desired consistency. If desired, serve with additional cheese.

Tips

1. The heat of the pasta cooks the eggs, but they may not reach 160 deg. F., the temperature at which they're considered safe to eat. To prevent food-borne illness, you can use pasteurized eggs.

2. Pancetta is the preferred ingredient of choice for true Italian carbonara but it can be a little hard to find, which is why we called for bacon. If you can get pancetta your carbonara will be all the better for it.

Nutrition Facts

1 c.: 353 calories, 12 g. fat (4 g. saturated fat), 65 mg. cholesterol; 326 mg. sodium; 46 g. carbohydrates (3 g. sugars, 3 g. fiber); 14 g. protein