Silky Carbonara

This recipe is simple, flavorful, and beautiful. It calls for very few ingredients and takes under 30 minutes, so it’s a great weeknight go-to. There’s also nothing better than filling your home with the aroma of bacon and leeks, I’d pick that over a candle anytime.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 slices thick cut bacon
• 2 leeks
• 1/2 lb shell-shaped pasta
• 2 eggs at room temperature
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan, plus more for serving
• Black pepper

PREPARATION:

Cut bacon into lardons (small pieces, about 1/4 inch). Trim the leeks, cutting off the ends and the dark green leafy parts, reserving only the white and light green parts. Cut those in half lengthwise and rinse, then slice into half-inch semi-circles.

Cook bacon lardons in a large skillet, about 6-8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Set aside. Add leeks to the same skillet and cook in the bacon fat until soft, about 8 minutes. Stir periodically.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in salted water. Add some olive oil to the pot right before you add the pasta. I used shell pasta here, but you could use any pasta shape that has some nooks and crannies for the bacon, leeks, and sauce to settle into. Cook pasta until al dente, about 1 minute less than the package directions. Reserve about 1/2 cup cooking liquid before draining pasta.

Whisk eggs and 1/2 cup parmesan in a small bowl. Gradually add 1/2 cup cooking liquid, whisking constantly. Adding the hot liquid to the eggs too quickly will result in scrambled eggs, rather than the silky sauce you want to achieve.

Add pasta to leeks in skillet. Mix to combine, then remove from heat. Gradually stir in the egg mixture, coating everything in the skillet. Stir in the reserved bacon.

Serve in bowls with freshly ground pepper and grated parmesan.

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