Dr Mobeus
Budget Spaghetti Carbonara
Carbonara is one of the most popular pasta dishes in the world, and the good news is that the budget version is nearly indistinguishable from the expensive one. The trick is in the technique, not the ingredients. Value smoked bacon costs about 30p per rasher and crisps up just as well as pancetta. Regular hard cheese or mature cheddar works perfectly in place of pecorino. At 63p a portion this is a proper Italian classic for a fraction of restaurant prices. The key is taking the pan off the heat before adding the eggs – the residual warmth from the pasta is enough to cook them into a sauce without scrambling them.
Budget Spaghetti Carbonara
Ingredients
Method
- Cook the spaghetti in plenty of salted boiling water according to the packet instructions. Before draining, save a mugful of the pasta cooking water.
- While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the chopped bacon and fry for 5-6 minutes until crispy. Add the garlic if using and cook for 1 minute.
- In a bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, most of the grated cheese and plenty of black pepper.
- When the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it to the bacon pan. Remove the pan from the heat immediately.
- Pour the egg mixture over the hot pasta and toss everything together quickly. The residual heat cooks the eggs into a silky sauce. Add splashes of the reserved pasta water until you get a glossy, coating consistency.
- Serve immediately with the remaining cheese and more black pepper on top.
Tips and Variations
The pan must be off the heat when you add the eggs or you get scrambled egg pasta. Add the pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce is glossy, not claggy. This does not reheat well so only cook what you need. Add a handful of frozen peas at the bacon stage for extra colour and veg. A twist of black pepper at the end is essential – it is half the flavour of carbonara.
