Friday, May 19, 2017

Rigatoni Carbonara with Pancetta & Peas

Since school started, we have been eating dinner during the work week at our school's Cafe, but lately, Friday has become pasta night at our house.


My favorite brand of gluten free dry pasta is Le Veneziane, which you can read about here.


Tonight, I made a variation of my Cacio e Pepe, but added and switched up a few ingredients.


Sometimes you hit a home run your first time at bat, and tonight was one of those nights.  There is not one thing I would change about this dish.

Rigatoni Carbonara with Pancetta & Peas

Ingredients

2 packages Le Veneziane Rigatoni (8.8 oz each)
1 T sea salt
Scant 1 C reserved pasta water
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (1/4 tsp for less spicy)
4 large eggs 
2 T salted butter
1.6 oz grated or shredded Pecorino Romano 
1.6 oz grated or shredded Asiago
1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper
1 package (12 oz) frozen peas - cooked
10 oz diced pancetta 

Directions

Bring water to a boil in a large soup or pasta pot, then add the salt, and stir before adding the rigatoni.  Cook the pasta for the minimum time suggested on the package, or until it is al dente.  Reserve one scant cup of the cooking liquid before draining the pasta. While the pasta is cooking, cook the pancetta over medium high heat, then place on a plate with a paper towel to remove all the grease.  

Dry out the pasta pot before adding the olive oil, garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking them over medium high heat for about one minute, until the garlic begins to brown.  Remove the pot from the heat, carefully add the pasta and the reserved pasta water, stir to combine, then put the pot back on the burner before stirring in the raw eggs. Add the butter, Romano, Asiago, black pepper, peas and pancetta, and stir for a minute or two until everything is well incorporated. 

Serves 4

Recipe Notes

I used shredded Romano and Asiago from Whole Foods, and weighed them on my kitchen scale.  

For the pancetta, I used two packages of Columbus diced pancetta.  

I like to buy peas that you can microwave in the bag, cooking them for the minimum time suggested.  

I always put my measuring cup in my colander so I don't forget to reserve the pasta water.

Since posting this recipe, I have made this dish with Romano and Parmesan, and a three cheese blend of Romano, Parmesan, and Asiago. I pretty much use whatever I have in the house, and they all taste great.

This recipe as written was a little too spicy for my family, so I have started using scant 1/2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes and black pepper.

I have also revised the recipe to include 4 eggs instead of 3, which my family really enjoyed. 




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