Paccheri Carbonara

We love Carbonara. But it's one of those dishes that is either really good or really bad. And some restaurants try to put their own special "touch" to it. It's basically just eggs and cheese, but some places have to put their own touches to it and make it their own. We found a place like that and their version was delicious. So I wanted to recreate it. Close but no cigar. I also don't think their dish was a true Carbonara but they can call it whatever they want, we called it fantastic. But mine didn't come close. We liked, not loved, so it needs more tweaking!

I found a recipe online by Barbara Lynch at Bon Appetit. Then just added what I remember was in the original dish. Mushrooms, peas. I think it must have also had cream, which to me would make it more like an Alfredo but that's a whole new discussion. I didn't use the cream. Next time.

The recipe from Bon Appetit used rigatoni but I used the same pasta the restaurant did, a large tube-shaped pasta called Paccheri, sort of like a big fat rigatoni. This wasn't exactly like we remember but it was still pretty good. The Paccheri is nice because it's big, hollow and hearty and when it's cooked it flattens and grabs a lot of sauce, except mine didn't flatten much because it was really al dente. It needed a tad more cooking time but on the bright side it wasn't crunchy. I also need more work on technique it's been a long time since I made a Carbonara. The sauce was a bit diluted, I added way too much pasta water this time because I was rushing to get dinner on the table and I didn't pay attention. Story of my life. But it was good. Just not great. So next time will be perfect. Maybe.

Paccheri Carbonara
adapted by There's Always Thyme to Cook
Source: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2012/04/the-silkiest-carbonara, recipe by Barbara Lynch
Printable Recipe

1/4 pound pancetta, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
7 large egg yolks
1 large egg
1 pound rigatoni, paccheri or penne (spaghetti works well, too)
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup fresh or frozen green peas
kosher salt
1/2 cup finely grated Pecorino or Parmesan plus more for garnish
1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper (or you can use a blend of pink, green and black peppercorns)
 
Put the pancetta in a large skillet and place over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until fat renders but the pancetta is not browned, about 5 or 6 minutes. Saute the mushrooms until softened, add the peas and cook for another minute. Pour into a fine-mesh sieve set over a small bowl; reserve drippings. Transfer the pancetta, mushrooms and peas to a large bowl and let cool slightly. Add egg yolks and egg to bowl; whisk to blend.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid.
 
To egg mixture, immediately add the pasta, 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta cooking liquid, and 1 teaspoon of the pancetta drippings; toss to coat. Working in batches, gradually add the Parmesan, stirring and tossing to melt between batches. Add freshly ground pepper and toss until sauce thickens, adding more pasta water by the spoonful if needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
 
Divide into bowls and top with more grated cheese. Serve immediately.

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