Kurt R.A. Giambastiani

I learned to cook from my father. He thought there was one temperature setting: Volcanic. He cooked everything fast and hard. “Braise” was not part of his vocabulary.

It took me a long time to unlearn that — burning through too many pieces of non-stick cookware was part of that re-education — but now I thoroughly appreciate the value of the entire heat spectrum. While the sear and the char are still part of my cooking toolbox, I am now quite familiar with the simmer, poach, braise, and other “go easy” settings.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara is a perfect example of “go easy” cooking. A few simple ingredients combined with proper (low) heat make for a lovely, light entree. I use capellini (angel hair) as opposed to the traditional spaghetti because I think it lends itself better to the thin, light sauce.

Capellini alla Carbonara

Makes 4–6 servings

Hardware

• One large pot for boiling pasta
• One large non-stick skillet for frying/combining

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 ounces pancetta, diced or in thin strips (see Notes)
• 4–5 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
• 1 pound capellini/angel hair pasta
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup grated fresh Romano and/or Parmesan cheese, divided (see Notes)
• 1–2 ounces Brut champagne or dry white wine (see Notes)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small handful chopped flat-leaf parsley (see Notes)

Procedure

• Fill the pot with salted water and put it over high heat.
• While the water is coming to a boil, put the skillet over a medium heat. Add olive oil and diced pancetta to the skillet. Drop the heat to medium-low.
• In a mixing bowl, add the 2 eggs and about two-thirds of the grated cheese. Whisk to thoroughly combine. Add a touch of champagne/white wine to thin it out. Whisk again, and set aside.
• When the water is boiling, add the pasta. Capellini cooks fast (4–5 minutes), so be ready to move with the rest.
• Add the garlic to the pancetta in the skillet. Let it soften for about 30 seconds and then take the skillet off the heat.
• When the pasta is al dente, drain it well and then add it all to the skillet (still off the heat). Toss it to cover it with the fat in the skillet.
• Add the egg/cheese/wine mixture to the pasta and toss to coat thoroughly. (Note: This is still off the heat. The residual heat from the skillet, fat, and pasta will be adequate to bond everything together.)
• Plate the servings and garnish with the remaining cheese, freshly ground black pepper, and a sprinkle of chopped parsley.

Notes

• Most of this dish is cooked with low/residual heat. This is especially important during the final combining of pasta and sauce. The still-warm pasta will provide sufficient heat to bind the sauce without scrambling the egg. Trust me, it’s easy, and makes for luscious, creamy goodness.
• If you don’t have/can’t find pancetta, substitute low-sodium bacon (strips or slab). If you can find un-smoked bacon, all the better.
• I prefer a 50/50 mix of Romano/Parmesan, but you can pick whatever ratio that suits your taste.
• Frankly, I use a dash of champagne as an excuse to open a bottle, but if you prefer, substitute a few ounces of the pasta cooking water for the wine.
• If parsley seems too been-there-done-that for you, try substituting marjoram, tarragon, savory, basil, or whatever herb(s) strike your fancy. It’s all good.

k