Spaghetti Alla Carbonara

As you know, I read the book Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Well, this past Friday, I saw the movie and I don't ever remember seeing a movie on opening day - I looked forward to it all day! Usually the reason I don’t like to see the movie adaption of a good book I’ve read is I don’t want my vision of the characters to be transformed, diluted if you will. But, I must say that the casting director did a fabulous job with this movie…bravo! The actors were spot on, the scenery was beautiful and even though some scenarios described in the book were altered in the movie for the sake of brevity, the message triumphed. I sobbed, no really, SOBBED, and laughed, but mostly I sat completely still (quite an accomplishment for me) for two pleasurable hours totally riveted by this adventure.

The founder of Soul Source, a local yoga studio, Clair Oaks, was lucky enough to have an appearance in the movie, leading a chant! Read about her amazing experience and learn about her music here --> ClairOaks

Anyway, while in Italy, Liz and her on-screen amici devoured (with much zeal) many Italian dishes, among them, Spaghetti Alla Carbonara that I decided to make for Sunday dinner.

SPAGHETTI ALLA CARBONARA
(recipe from the film's food stylist, Susan Spungen)

Ingredients
2 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
½ cup of freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
4 oz of pancetta (cured Italian bacon, cubed)
Garlic (I added this…omit it you’d like)
1 lb. dry spaghetti
1tbsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Whisk the eggs in a small bowl until just combined. Whisk in the cheeses. Set aside

Place the pancetta in a large sauté pan and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the bacon is crisp on the outside and much of the fat has rendered out, 10-12 minutes. Add 2 cloves of garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.

Cook and drain the pasta when al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water (the starchy water combines with the sauce and will help it cling to the pasta more evenly)

Add the drained pasta to the pan with the pancetta. Over medium heat, toss the pasta well, making sure it is piping hot. Remove from heat and stir in the egg mixture, tossing to coat the pasta evenly.

Season with black pepper and toss again. Add a little of the reserved pasta water to thin out the sauce, if necessary. Add salt to taste. Grind some pepper on top before serving.

I served this with a Ceasar salad a nice Italian red table wine…..Cantina Zaccagnini.