medtran49
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Classic carbonara has egg yolk, Pecorino Romano, guanciale, black pepper, pasta and maybe some pasta water, that's it. But, it seems like sometimes you end up with scrambled eggs and pasta. This method virtually eliminates that possibility.
This recipe also is not classic in that it uses prosciutto (which we had in the freezer leftover from another meal and was a little dried out, but perfectly fine for this recipe) and American bacon. It also uses Mizithra cheese, but since that can be difficult to find and is usually very expensive, even more so than imported Pecorino Romano, I subbed the Pecorino.
The original idea/recipe/method came from https://www.saveur.com/article/recipes/wayne-thiebauds-spaghetti-with-mizithra-cheese
Ingredients
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 lb. spaghetti
4 oz. bacon, cut into 1″ pieces
4 oz. prosciutto, cut into ½″ pieces
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chicken stock
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 cups grated Mizithra cheese or Pecorino Romano
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley (optional, I omitted)
4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
Instructions
Cook spaghetti to al dente per package instructions in a large pot of boiling salted water. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, 8–10 minutes, adding prosciutto in about halfway through. Transfer bacon and prosciutto to paper towels to drain. Place red onion in pan and cook until soft, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to medium high, add stock and butter, bring to a boil. Drain spaghetti, reserving a cup of pasta water, and add to pan, mixing with sauce. Remove pan from heat and stir in drained bacon and prosciutto, plus two-thirds of the cheese, the parsley if using, egg yolks, and plenty of black pepper. Add some pasta water if sauce is too tight. Taste, add salt and more pepper if needed. Serve, using remaining cheese as garnish.
