With respect to the true carbonara sauce, which is pancetta and eggs with a little cheese, this sauce is enriched by cream and a shallot.
Penne Lisce: Smooth sided penne, for creamy and chunky sauces
Penne come in two flavors -- rigate, lined or ridged, and lisce, smooth sided. Some people prefer the former and the others the latter; I find that smooth-sided penne work better with creamier sauces, because the cream sticks to their sides nicely.
Penne are just shy of a half inch in diameter and 1 1/2 inches long.
Cooking time: 10-12 minutes
Substitutions: Penne rigate, rigatoni, or tortiglioni
A sauce? Mock Carbonara, a pleasant, slightly richer alternative to the more traditional carbonara sauce, which doesn't have cream or scallions. To serve 4 you'll need:
In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a large high-sided skillet, add the minced pancetta and shallot, and cook, stirring, over a gentle flame, until the pancetta has browned. Combine the cream and egg yolks in a bowl and lightly beat them.
Taste the pasta; when it's just shy of being al dente drain it and transfer it to the pancetta pot before it has completely stopped dripping. Turn the heat up,, and cook, stirring; after a few seconds stir in the beaten yolk mixture and cook for 30 seconds more; the heat of the pasta will cook the egg. Give it a goodly grating of pepper and serve at once.
More About Pasta Shapes
Penne are just shy of a half inch in diameter and 1 1/2 inches long.
Cooking time: 10-12 minutes
Substitutions: Penne rigate, rigatoni, or tortiglioni
A sauce? Mock Carbonara, a pleasant, slightly richer alternative to the more traditional carbonara sauce, which doesn't have cream or scallions. To serve 4 you'll need:
- 12 ounces (300 g) smooth-sided penne
- 8 ounces (200 g) smoked pancetta (thick cut bacon will work well as a substitute), minced
- A shallot, minced
- 1/4 cup cream
- 2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
- 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
- Salt and pepper to taste
In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a large high-sided skillet, add the minced pancetta and shallot, and cook, stirring, over a gentle flame, until the pancetta has browned. Combine the cream and egg yolks in a bowl and lightly beat them.
Taste the pasta; when it's just shy of being al dente drain it and transfer it to the pancetta pot before it has completely stopped dripping. Turn the heat up,, and cook, stirring; after a few seconds stir in the beaten yolk mixture and cook for 30 seconds more; the heat of the pasta will cook the egg. Give it a goodly grating of pepper and serve at once.
More About Pasta Shapes