Mastering Carbonara Sauce

I've been wanting to make a Carbonara Sauce, carbonara is very smooth creamy creamy sauce  with pancetta and cheese without using cream.   It is protein loaded, no added cream,  no  gluten products to convert not much dairy.   This is a must try!!  



Anne made it look so easy!!

I watch Foodnetwork a lot, in fact way to much watching not enough actual cooking ;0)  As luck would have it Ann Burrell was making Carbonara on Secrets of a Restaurant Chef she made it look so easy I was convinced I could do this ...........

Off to the store for pancetta,  pecorino and scallions I wanted to make the recipe verbatim to Anne's since I've never made it before.
Before starting  I watched Anne make the sauce on Foodnetwork.com one more time before starting. I've made sauces before where you have to temper the eggs or you cook them and it end up with something grosser looking  than baby poop. 
Followed Anne's recipe and process to the T -I got baby poop!!!!

What went wrong!!! I was using my heavy cast iron pan that holds the heat and cooked the eggs.

Fast forward Rachael Ray is talking about how easy Carbonara  is, it is and such a great go quick late night pasta dish her husband John's favorite and get this Anne Burrell is making Carbonara on Rachael Ray  Show!!

  Not to be defeated I do love Rachael's approach to cooking. 1 flop isn't going to stop me from enjoying this supposedly scrumptious dish.

I google Rachael Ray Carbonara,  not only do I score a recipe  I  get a video of Rachael Ray making her Carbonara .  Rachael tempers the eggs then mixes them into the pasta to avoid scrambling them.  


I followed Rachel's recipe not to the T, this time I went with what I head on hand and still and OMG awesomeness.  This is now a go to recipe it's easy to have the ingredients on hand, 15 minutes start to finish, full of flavor, hearty but not heavy.

Rachael Ray Carbonara

3 tablespoons olive oil 

1/3 pound pancetta, I used bacon

5 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped 

1/2 cup dry white wine 

3 large egg yolks

Salt and pepper 

1 pound pasta such as linguine, spaghetti or egg tagliatelle, gf tinkyada fettuccine
red pepper flakes *

 

Grated Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano  I just had parmesan

1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped didn't have any in the fridge

Bring a large pot of water to boil for pasta.

Heat olive oil, 3 turns of the pan, in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta or guanciale, brown 3-4 minutes, then add garlic and some black pepper, and stir 2 minutes more. Add wine and reduce heat to low. Whisk up egg yolks and season with salt and pepper.

 

Add pasta to salted boiling water and cook to al dente.  

 

Add 1 full cup of starchy cooking water to egg yolks in a slow stream to temper them.  Reserve an extra half-cup starchy water in case the pasta gets too tight when you toss it.  Drain pasta and add to pancetta and garlic, remove from heat and toss with egg yolks and handfuls of grated cheeses, parsley, adjust salt and pepper to taste.

*Rachael added red pepper flakes in another version of her Carbonara

Thank you Rachael Ray!!

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