Gigi's mouth watering, fifteen minute Pasta Carbonara

Carbonara. You know it by the decadent perfume of pancetta sizzling in the pan. You can taste it in the almost creamy, pepper speckled, and parmesan glued strands of spaghetti that twirl heavily on your fork. And best of all, you can crave it after a long January workday when take-out feels exhausted, your pantry looks worn thin, and prepping a meal feels practically impossible. If you give me five more minutes than it takes to make Kraft Mac and Cheese, you can put a vibrant and storied Italian classic on your plate. This is a fifteen-minute marvel of a recipe that can make a dinner party zing and a workday, school night, or date night explode with flavor.

Ingredients:

1lb Spaghetti
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 to 1/2 lb Pancetta (or 6-8 slices of bacon) according to preference chopped into small cubes
A tablespoon or so of red pepper flakes
A hearty dash of black pepper
3 eggs, beaten.
½ cup white wine
½ cup pasta water to temper
5-8oz Pecorino Romano according to preference, grated

Steps:

1. Set a pot of well salted water to boil. Don't start cooking until you add your pasta to the water. N.B. Yes, salted water takes longer to boil, but as Salt, Acid, Fat, Heat's Samin Nosrat tells us: your pasta water should taste like the sea!

2. Prep Ingredients and preheat your pan over medium.

3. Prepare the Bacon/Pancetta:

*If you're using bacon* add chopped bacon to a hot skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until done.

*If you're using pancetta* add to heated skillet with a swril of olive oil. Cook 2-3 minutes until browned.

4. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant and the garlic has begun to brown.

5. Pour in ½ cup of white wine. Scrape the browned bits at the bottom of the pan and cook until reduced.

6. Reserve ⅐ cup of pasta water at this point.

7. Add cooked spaghetti, reserved pasta water, 3 eggs beaten, and the whole mound of grated parmesan to the skillet with all the good stuff. Stir vigorously and add black pepper.

8. Remove from heat and serve while deliciously warm.

Some of my favorite tools that made this recipe a breeze:

Interested in any of the gorgeous equipment that made this recipe possible? I would be.

Let's start with this gorgeous twelve-inch skillet from Le Creuset: this is a workhorse in my kitchen. It has all the perks of cast iron without an ounce of its maitenane. Not to mention, like all Le Creuset's, it's simply stunning!

Next is my trusty MAC knife. The New York Times' Wirecutter series has chosen this as the best chefs knife since 2013. If that doesn't convince you, I'm not sure what will. It's hyper sharp Japanese steel with a timeless and refined elegance.

Lastly, but certainly not least, are my sillicone tongs from Cutlery Pro. Sillicone never scrapes, which is quite nice on an enameled surface like Le Creuset's, and its fabulously easy to clean and conveniently heat resistant.