Pasta alla Carbonara

Pasta alla Carbonara

1/2 pound pancetta, 1/4" dice

salt and pepper
6 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan
1 pound dried pasta (spaghetti, linguine and fettucine work best)
4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat a large saute pan until hot. Add pancetta and saute until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Season with black pepper and remove pan from heat.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in Parmesan, reserving 2 tablespoons for garnish.

In a large pot, boil 6 quarts of salted water. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain pasta in a collander; do not rinse. While the pasta is still hot, return it back to the pat. Add reserved pancetta and mix well. Add the cream mixture and coat the pasta completely. It's important to work quickly while the pasta is still warm so that the cream mixture will cook, but not curdle. Toss in parsley. Serve and sprinkle with reserved Parmesan.

Serves 4