i {heart} pasta

Since I have moved back home from college, I have enjoyed making dinner for my family.. both times. Don't get me wrong, I love to cook but there's nothing like mom and dad's cooking (if you've had my parents cooking, then you'll definitely see my point). I have my own dishes that I'm good at but I want to broaden my capabilities beyond my own special pasta recipe. 

I remember going to stay with my aunt at the lake and she made this great amazing pasta with broccoli rabe. (Jojo, you know what I'm talking about :) ) Its pasta with a pancetta cream sauce and we always called it "Pavarotti's Pasta." You might know it as "Pasta Carbonara."  At our house, the t.v. is pre-programmed to the Cooking Channel. Really, it is.. always on channel 232. Giada De Laurentiis from Everyday Italian has her own "Pasta a la Carbonara" recipe, which I made for dinner last night. 

Penne a la Carbonara 

What you need:

1 lb pancetta diced into 1 in cubes (I only used 1/2 lb)

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

6 eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature 

1 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 lb penne pasta

4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (I used fresh basil to garnish instead)

Directions:

First, you want to heat your saute pan. When hot, add the pancetta and saute until it is crispy. This takes about 5-10 minutes. Mine took a little longer to turn out golden brown and crispy because my pancetta was cut a little thicker. 

In your mixing bowl, you want to combine your eggs and heavy whipping cream. Add sea salt and pepper, then your parmesan cheese.

While you're doing these steps, go ahead and cook your pasta. You want it to be al dente. Bring your water to a boil and cook pasta for about 10-12 minutes. Once your pasta is cooked, drain your pasta but it is important that you don't rinse your pasta. You want the pasta to retain its natural starch and remain hot for the next step.

Next, mix in your pancetta. After you have mixed the pasta and pancetta, add the cream mixture. It is important that you mix the cream mixture rather quickly because this allows the eggs to cook. However, you don't want the eggs to cook too much or you will end up with a pasta/scrambled egg creation. 

Garnish with your left over parmesan cheese and a basil leaf. You can use parsley if you wish.

Buon appetito! 

Source: http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/penne-a-la-carbonara-recipe/index.html

I know I have been a little slack with blogging this summer, but check back with me soon! 

Until next time, 

GES