Perfecting Pasta

by Jane Worthington-Roth

One of the great benefits of living in a rural area such as the Berkshires is that we have easy access to meat and produce direct from small local farmers. You might even drive past local egg farmers without noticing, because they often have a simple setup, perhaps just a large cooler with a sign that says “EGGS” and a cigar box in which to put your payment.

If you get chance to buy fresh eggs from a local farmer – definitely stop and bring a dozen home! Once you’ve seen and tasted fresh local eggs – I doubt you’ll go back to purchasing month-old eggs from a supermarket freezer.

Fresh local eggs have a yolk the color of a Caribbean sunset, ranging from bright yellow to dramatic orange – and a white albumen that holds its shape as a testament to freshness.

Two of my favorite recipes depend on these local beauties – Caesar Salad and Spaghetti Carbonara.

My recipe for Spaghetti Carbonara has evolved from many failed attempts to mimic the simple, delicious, creamy sauce that coats every strand of spaghetti and is the perfect balance of thick, but not sticky. This is one recipe that depends as much on the PROCESS as on the ingredients. It’s not difficult to make, but you need to pay attention to the details or you may end up with a less-than-appetizing bowl of scrambled eggs and spaghetti. I had about two dozen failed attempts before the “Aha!” moment of perfecting the recipe. Don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t come out right the first time – try again, and once you get it right this will become a ‘go-to’ dish for perfect comfort food!

Spaghetti Carbonara

Ingredients

4 ounces (¼ pound) bacon* (cut into small pieces)
6 tablespoons olive or canola oil
1 pound box of good-quality spaghetti such as Barilla
6 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese
3 yolks, plus 1 whole egg, lightly beaten with a fork
1 cup of peas, heated (frozen tender baby peas heated in the microwave work very well)
Salt & pepper
And very importantly: a large heat-proof mixing bowl and one-cup measuring cup

Directions

  1. To begin, know that timing is everything with this recipe. You boil the pasta and make the sauce at the same time. The trick is to get everything ‘cool’ enough so that the eggs don’t cook, while keeping everything warm enough to ensure a delicious meal.

  2. While you are preparing the recipe, put some hot water in your dinner bowls to gently heat them and make sure they won’t cool down your carbonara when served.

  3. Heat a large pot of water for the spaghetti. Cook the pasta until al dente. While the spaghetti is cooking and you see that some of the starch has been released into the pot making it cloudy, remove and save a cup of the pasta water. You will use this to thin the sauce.

  4. In a frying pan, cook the bacon pieces on low heat until they begin to lightly crisp. Add the 6 tablespoons oil to the pan and let the bacon cook to a golden brown. When done, remove the bacon to a paper-towel covered dish to cool. Don’t throw out the oil – this will give the flavor and texture to the carbonara. Let the oil cool down just a little until you can safely pour it into the large mixing bowl.

  5. Add the cheese to the warm oil in the bowl and mix well with a fork to help soften the cheese. Add the yolks and whole egg, and continue to stir well to make a thick, well-blended custard-like sauce.

  6. When the spaghetti is cooked, drain it and shake it well in a colander to let it cool down just a tiny bit. This ensures that it will not curdle the eggs when added to the bowl.

  7. Add the spaghetti to the sauce in the bowl – mix to coat every strand. Pour in a little of the pasta water, about ¼ cup – to loosen the sauce and make it less sticky. You can always add a bit more if you feel the sauce is too thick.

  8. Toss in the bacon pieces and peas. Combine well.

  9. Dry the warmed dinner bowls and serve the spaghetti topped with a lot of freshly ground pepper and a little salt.

  • If you want to be truly authentic, you can use either pancetta or guanciale instead of bacon. This dish is the perfect combination of a gorgeous color, with creaminess, a bit of crunch from the bacon, and a touch of sweetness from the peas.

You can purchase local eggs throughout the Berkshires. We enjoy the selection at Whippoorwill Farm, owned by Allen and Robin Cockerline, in Salisbury, CT.

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