Pasta Carbonara

Pasta Carbonara

I found this recipe in my mother’s cookbook and thought I would share it. The pea harvesting in my garden is coming to an end.

1 lb. spaghetti or linguine

6 bacon strips, chopped

1 cup fresh or frozen peas

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 ½ tsp grated lemon zest

2 large eggs, beaten

2 Tbls minced fresh parsley

½ cup grated Parmigiano cheese

1/3 tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

additional cheese for garnish

In a large saucepan, cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. Drain pasta, reserving pasta water; keep pasta warm. In same pot, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Add peas; cook until just heated through.

Add pasta to pot; toss to combine. Stir in remaining ingredients, adding enough reserved pasta water for sauce to reach desired consistency. If desired, serve with additional cheese. Make sure your eggs cook well in the pasta.

The difference:

Both bacon and pancetta are derived from pork belly. There is however, a difference in the way both are prepared, cured, and cooked. Pancetta is cured with salt and several other spices such as ground peppers, garlic, nutmeg, fennel, black pepper, etc. It is then dried for a period of three months after which it is ready for consumption. Bacon on the other hand is cured too in a similar manner, but is also smoked through what is known as a cold-smoking process without any cooking. As such, the bacon also remains raw.

— Barbara Rexford