Maccheroni Alla Carbonara Recipe 485

Steps:

• 1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain the pasta, reserving ¼ cup of the cooking water. 2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, cook the cream over medium-low heat until reduced by half, about 8 minutes. Cover and set aside. 3. In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the pancetta and ¾ teaspoon black pepper and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the pasta and cooking water to the skillet and toss over medium heat until coated. Remove the skillet from the heat. 4. Slowly whisk the egg yolks into the warm cream. Add the cream-egg mixture to the skillet; toss to coat and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Divide the pasta among 4 plates and generously grate the pecorino over the top to taste. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until it is al dente, about 6 minutes. Strain, reserving 1 3/4 cups of the pasta water. Set aside.
• Cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until it is crispy and most of the fat has been rendered, about 15 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate. Pour the fat into a small heat-safe measuring cup. Add enough olive oil to total 1/4 cup of fat. Reserve.
• Carefully wipe out the saucepan (or give it a quick rinse if it is really dirty). Add the half-and-half and 2 teaspoons pepper and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 15 minutes. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted. Whisk in the Cheddar and Gruyere until all the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth.
• Add the macaroni and the reserved pasta water to the saucepan and stir to combine. (It will look very loose, but the pasta will suck up a lot of the sauce as it bakes.) Season to taste with salt if needed. Gently fold in the bacon and 3/4 of the sliced scallions. Pour into a 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
• Toss the bread crumbs with the reserved bacon-fat mixture and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the top of the macaroni and cheese and bake until the cheese is bubbly and the bread crumbs are lightly browned and crispy, about 10 minutes. Garnish with the remaining scallions and serve.

Steps:

• Bring 6 quarts of water to boil in a large pot, and add 2 tablespoons salts.
• Meanwhile, combine the olive oil and pancetta in a 12- to 14-inch sauté pan set over medium heat, and cook until the pancetta has rendered its fat and is crispy and golden. Remove from the heat and set aside (do not drain the fat).
• Cook the spaghetti in the boiling water until just al dente. Scoop out ¼ cup of the pasta cooking water and set aside. Drain the pasta.
• Add the reserved pasta water to the pan with the pancetta, then toss in the pasta and heat, shaking the pan, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add 1 cup of the Parmigiano, the egg whites, and pepper to taste, and toss until thoroughly mixed.
• Divide the pasta among four warmed serving bowls. Make a nest in the center of each one, and gently drop an egg yolk into each nest. Season the egg yolks with more pepper and sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup Parmigiano over the top. Serve immediately.