Fettucine A La Carbonara

Yet another one of Giada's recipes, this one was quite tasty. I love pasta, love it, love it, love it. I wish I could get my husband to eat whole wheat pasta, because it is so much better for you, but he refuses anything with the word "whole wheat" in it. Rice, pasta, bread, you name it. I've slowly been trying to convert over, but it is not going to happen, so I've just been making it in moderation. This night, I wanted pasta. I can never go wrong with Giada! Her Everyday Italian cookbook rocks, and I've made at least half of the recipes in that book. I've never found one that didn't taste amazing! This particular dish is a sauce that is basically cream, eggs and Parmesan cheese. It's classic Italian, and one of my favorites! This is very rich, you definitely can't eat it every night for dinner, but once in a while will not hurt you! Giada uses Penne pasta in this recipe, but you can use any type of pasta that you like.  

Fettuccine A La Carbonara

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound pancetta, diced into 1-inch cubes (I used bacon)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
6 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound dried fettuccine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. In a large saute pan, heat the oil over a medium flame. When almost smoking add the pancetta or (bacon) and saute until golden brown and crispy. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon pepper and remove the pan from the heat.
2. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and cream. Stir in 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Do not rinse the pasta with water; you want to retain the pasta's natural starches that help the sauce adhere.
4. while the pasta is still hot, return it to the pot. and quickly toss with the browned bacon, then the cream mixture. It's important to work quickly while the pasta is still hot so that the cream mixture will cook, but not curdle. Toss with the remaining cup of Parmesan cheese and the chopped parsley. Season the pasta with more salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the pasta to bowls and serve.