Carbonara Made Simple

½ lb pancetta chopped (substitute: thick cut bacon)

1 tbs garlic, minced

½ tsp coarse ground black pepper

1 lb linguine

4 eggs

1 egg yolk

½ c. Frozen peas, thawed

1 c. Romano cheese, grated (Parm-Reggiano will also work)

Reserve ½ c. Pasta cooking water (may only use a little)

1 tbs parsley (for garnish)

*a little extra Romano for serving

*a touch of freshly ground black pepper for serving

1. Prepare pasta al dente according to directions on pkg. Save ½ c. of the pasta cooking water. Drain pasta and set aside.
2. Combine eggs and egg yolk in a small bowl with a pinch of salt and whisk together. Set aside.
3. Cook pancetta or bacon in a large sauté pan over medium heat until just turning crispy. Using a slotted spoon or fork, remove and place cooked meat on a paper towel to drain. Leave oil in pan.
4. Add garlic and black pepper. Cook until garlic is fragrant. (30-45 seconds)
5. Add the pasta, peas, and cooked meat to the pan and gently toss and sauté about a minute or so. The object here is to just mix everything together while reheating the cooked pasta.
6. Remove the pan from the heat and stir eggs into pasta. Keep the pasta moving to create the sauce. (About a minute or so)
7. Stir in the cup of cheese. Here is where you decide if you want to thin the sauce a bit with some reserved pasta water. (I usually add a little less than ¼ c.)
8. Mix pasta together a couple turns to make sure the sauce is creamy. Garnish with a little parsley and serve with a sprinkling of cheese and a little black pepper.
9. Enjoy!