BLT-STYLE CARBONARA PASTA

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BLT-STYLE CARBONARA PASTA image

Categories     Pasta     Dinner     Simmer

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 12

•1 large, ripe heirloom tomato or 4 plum or Roma tomatoes
•1 pound egg tagliatelle, such as Del Verde brand or other wide, long-cut pasta
•Salt
•2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
•1/3 pound lean, good-quality bacon, smoky speck or milder pancetta, chopped
•2 leeks, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/2-inch thick, washed and dried on clean towel
•5-6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
•1 small chili pepper, such as Fresno or Italian cherry chili pepper, finely chopped or thinly sliced
•1 cup dry white wine
•A generous handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
•3 large, organic egg yolks, lightly beaten
•Lots of freshly grated Pecorino cheese

Steps:

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Score an "X" into the tomato skin, place it in the boiling water to a count of 30, then remove it to a bowl of ice water with tongs or a spider. Peel, seed and chop the tomato and reserve. Salt the boiling water and cook the pasta to al dente. Heads up: you will need some starchy cooking water to temper the egg yolks, so reserve a cup or so before draining the pasta. Meanwhile, heat a pan over medium to medium-high heat with the EVOO. Add the bacon, speck or pancetta, and cook until almost crisp. Add the leeks, garlic and chili and stir for a couple of minutes, then add the wine and reduce by half. Add the parsley and tomato and reduce the heat to low. When the pasta is about ready, add about 1/2 cup starchy water to the eggs yolks while beating them with a fork to temper them. Toss the pasta with the bacon and eggs, turn off heat, then toss vigorously a full minute, using more starchy water if the pasta tightens up (the yolks should smoothly cover the pasta). Serve with Pecorino at the table for passing

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