Penne A La Carbonara

This recipe is from the "Everyday Italian" cookbook by Giada De Laurentiis {pg 113}

1 pound pancetta, diced into 1-inch cubes (can substitute bacon)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
1 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 pound dried penne
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (optional)

Heat a large saute pan, until hot. Add pancetta/bacon and saute until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Season with black pepper and remove pan from heat.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in Parmesan, reserving 2 tablespoons for garnish.

In a large pot, boil 6 quarts of salted boiling water. Add pasta and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta in a colander. Do not rinse with water; you want to retain the pasta's natural starches so that the sauce will stick.

While the pasta is still hot, return it back to the pot. Add the browned pancetta/bacon and mix well. Add the cream mixture and coat the pasta completely. It's important to work quickly while the pasta is still warm so that the cream mixture will cook, but not curdle. Add remaining Parmesan and chopped parsley.

{Review}
This was a very easy recipe and quite tasty. I did substitute the pancetta with bacon and used 5 eggs rather then 6 and still had some leftover cream mixture. I didn't use all the mixture for fear of it becoming to much sauce. I had about 1/2 cup leftover.
Husband approved.


{Serve with}
We just ate it by itself. Its pretty rich! Although a salad might have been nice.


{Time}
30 min or less