spaghetti alla carbonara

Kind of like having bacon and eggs for dinner. And spaghetti. What could be bad? This classic Italian pasta will make a great addition to your cooking repertoire. Once you master it, as long as you’ve got bacon (keep some in the freezer), eggs, Parmesan, and spaghetti, you can turn out a luxury dish for yourself and your friends on very short notice. The heat of the pasta cooks the eggs just enough to turn them into a creamy sauce. Just how creamy depends on how quickly you work and how much reserved pasta water you add. It sounds tricky, but you’ll discover you really can’t go wrong, and you’ll see how simple the whole process really is. This is definitely a “make just before serving” kind of dish. Leftovers can be reheated in a microwave or skillet, but the egg will go from silky to scrambled. Still tasty, just less texturally amazing.

3 large eggs

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (plus extra to pass at the table)

¼ teaspoon minced garlic (about half a small clove)

A handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 ounces (about 6 strips) bacon

Salt for the pasta water

¾ pound spaghetti

2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Crack the eggs into a large bowl and beat them lightly with a whisk until you no longer see bits of egg white. Add the Parmesan, garlic, parsley, and black pepper, and continue whisking to combine everything. Set aside.

2. Cook the bacon in a skillet or in the microwave (see Chapter 8: Party Snacks) until it is crisp; then let it cool and break it into ¼-inch pieces.

3. While the bacon is browning, put a large pot of cold water to boil over high heat, and add a tablespoon of salt. Place a large colander in the sink. When the water boils, add the spaghetti, keeping the heat high. Cook for the amount of time recommended on the package, tasting a strand toward the end of the suggested time to be sure it is not getting overcooked. When the pasta is just tender enough to bite into comfortably but not yet mushy, ladle out and save a generous cup of the pasta water, then dump the remaining water-and-pasta into the colander. Shake to mostly drain (it’s okay to leave some water clinging).

4. Working quickly, add the hot pasta to the bowl containing the egg mixture and stir it immediately with tongs or a fork to coat the pasta thoroughly. Add the olive oil, the bacon, and 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water and stir to combine. The sauce should have a thick, creamy consistency. If the pasta looks dry or sticky, add another tablespoon or two of the pasta water. Serve right away, passing around additional Parmesan, plus a pepper mill.

GET CREATIVE

• Use a good, thick-cut bacon or Italian-style pancetta, which is not smoked and has a sweeter, more delicate flavor than bacon.
• You can also make this with turkey bacon or "veggie" bacon.
• Pass a shaker of red pepper flakes at the table.
• Sauté some sliced mushrooms in olive oil, and add them to the pasta along with the bacon.
• Stir a few tablespoons of heavy cream into the pasta just before serving (and add a little less reserved pasta water).
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rigatoni al forno with roasted asparagus and onions

Makes 3 to 4 servings

Baked pasta dishes are great for bringing to someone else’s place. This one is especially suited for that purpose because it tastes as good warm or at room temperature as it does hot. This recipe uses a single pan to first roast the vegetables in olive oil (which gives them amazingly deep, sweet, complex flavor) and then to bake the pasta. The other big flavor secret here is a generous amount of balsamic vinegar, which reduces and intensifies in the oven. If you like, cut one of the onions into smaller chunks (½-inch or smaller) and the other into larger (¾-inch) pieces. The smaller ones will become part of the sauce, and the larger ones will add a slightly (and delightfully) crunchy texture.

Salt for the pasta water

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium onions, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 pound asparagus (about ½-inch diameter), trimmed and cut diagonally into 2-inch pieces (see Chapter 7: Sides)

½ pound rigatoni or penne pasta (or any kind of tube shape)

1 teaspoon minced garlic (1 good-sized clove)

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup balsamic vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

2 slices whole wheat bread, toasted and crumbled (see “Toasted Breadcrumbs," opposite)

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Adjust the oven rack to the center position, and preheat the oven to 425°F (375°F if you’ll be using a glass pan). Put a large pot of cold water to boil over high heat, and add a tablespoon of salt. Place a large colander in the sink.

2. Pour 3 tablespoons of the olive oil into a 9-by 13-inch baking pan, and add the onions and asparagus. Shake and tilt the pan to get all the vegetables coated with the oil. Roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are fork-tender and the onion edges are beginning to brown. Remove from the oven and set aside. Turn the oven down to 300°F.

3. When the pasta water boils, add the rigatoni, keeping the heat high. Cook for the amount of time recommended on the package, tasting the pasta toward the end of the suggested time to be sure it is not getting overcooked. When it is just tender enough to bite into comfortably but not yet mushy, ladle out and save 1 cup of the pasta water, then dump the rest of the water-plus-pasta into the colander. Shake to mostly drain (it’s okay to leave some water clinging). Then transfer the pasta to the pan containing the roasted onions and asparagus.

4. Toss in the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus the garlic and a heaping ¼ cup (a little more than half) of the Parmesan. Pour in the vinegar and the reserved cup of pasta cooking water, sprinkle in the salt, and stir to combine.

5. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs and the remaining Parmesan over the top, put the pan in the oven, and bake, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly golden on top. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, topped with a good amount of freshly ground black pepper.

TOASTED BREADCRUMBS

These work just about anywhere, and you’ll find them suggested as a finishing touch in recipes throughout this book. To make them, toast some really good whole wheat or rustic artisan-style bread until it is crisp but not too dark. Let the toast cool completely, so it’s quite hard. Then put it in a bowl and crumble it with your fingers, or put it in a plastic bag and roll with a bottle or a rolling pin. For more flavor, toss the crumbs in a skillet over medium heat with just enough good-quality olive oil to moisten them, stirring frequently, until the crumbs are golden and crisp. Toasted without oil, breadcrumbs keep for a long time and are multipurpose; toasted with oil, they are best used quickly and are incomparably delicious.

GET CREATIVE

• Sprinkle some chopped toasted walnuts on top just before serving.
• Add up to 1 cup of extra cheese when stirring in the Parmesan. You can use diced fresh mozzarella or other soft white cheeses, including jack or fontina. You could also add some crumbled Gorgonzola, but use a light hand (say, about ½ cup) to accommodate its very strong flavor.
• Make this vegan by using eggless pasta and omitting the cheese.