1 lb. spaghetti (or fettucini, linguine, or other pasta- whole wheat or regular)
2 eggs
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
salt and pepper, to taste
½ cup fresh chopped parsley, or other herbs (optional), plus more for garnish
4 oz. pancetta (or bacon)
Instructions
Full recipe from : yummly.com
Cook pasta until a dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.
Meanwhile, mix together the eggs, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and parsley (if using) in a small bowl, creating a paste-like consistency. Don't salt too heavily- there is plenty of salt in the pancetta and the parmesan cheese! DO add a hearty amount of fresh cracked black pepper. It gives it a nice kick.
In a deep skillet or even a large pot, cook the pancetta over medium high heat (If you are using bacon, just cut it up into approximate 1-inch pieces).
Cook until meat is browned and fat is rendered.
Add the hot pasta to the pancetta and drippings, and turn heat to low. Stir for one minute until pasta is covered in the drippings from the pancetta.
Now, add the egg and cheese mixture from before and stir for another minute. The cheese will melt and the eggs will slowly cook, coating each noodle in a creamy layer.
While stirring the pasta, gradually add some of the reserved pasta water to create an even thicker, creamier texture. You will probably not need to add the entire cup of water- just add enough until you have a nice, creamy consistency that sticks to every noodle.
Serve garnished with extra herbs, parmesan, and black pepper.
