Carbonara for breakfast

It’s February in Montreal (iykyk).

The type of cold that makes you question everything. You’re wrapped up like a human burrito, debating if you really need a job. Or pants. Or a social life.

The only thing that’ll eventually get my ass outta bed is breakfast. I love breakfast. And technically, carbonara is breakfast food. Eggs. Cheese. Bacon (ok guanciale but close enough). So let’s make a carbonara worth waking up for.

It’s not like I would name this page Carbonara Club without giving you a proper carbonara recipe.

So this is the one. The pasta real Italians will fight you over. Traditionally made with spaghetti or spaghettoni, but you’ll see it with rigatoni and mezze maniche too. I used bucatini. Sue me.

Side note—last week at work, we made a pasta bed. Tiny ricotta ravioli pillows, pasta sheets, a pasta duvet, a pasta teddy bear. Why? Why do I need a reason?

Anyway, if you needed a sign to eat pasta before noon, this is it.

Em

FOR 2

• 250g bucatini

• 85g guanciale, finely diced (if using pancetta get a fatty piece)

• 5 egg yolks (90g)

• 35g finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano

• 35g finely grated Pecorino Romano plus extra for garnish

• Lots of black pepper

HOW

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil–use slightly less salt than usual since the cheese and guanciale are already salty.

2. Render the guanciale in a large sauté pan over low heat, cook the guanciale slowly until the fat melts and the meat turns crispy (5-7 minutes). Use a slotted spoon to transfer the guanciale to a paper towel-lined plate, set aside and reserve 2 tbsp of that liquid gold (rendered fat).

3. In a large bowl, stir (do not whip) the yolks until smooth, add Parmigiano, Pecorino, and the reserved guanciale fat to form a paste. Hit it with a ridiculous amount of black pepper and mix in half of the crispy guanciale.

4. Cook the pasta until just al dente. Save ¼ cup pasta water before draining.

5. Slowly stream in ¼ cup pasta water into the egg mixture while stirring constantly to keep the eggs from scrambling.

6. Toss it like your life depends on it. Drop the pasta into the bowl and mix fast until silky and glossy. Add more pasta water a splash at a time if needed.

7. Plate it up and top with the rest of guanciale, Pecorino, and more black pepper.

8. Eat immediately. Carbonara waits for no one.

WORD

• Usually spaghetti, spaghettoni, rigatoni and mezze maniche but I used bucatini

• The success of carbonara depends A LOT on the tossing technique. It all comes together in less than a minute !

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