Prosciutto Carbonara
Overview
Ok, so this is one of my absolute favorite things that I make. It is always requested by friends and family too. This is my spin on the classic carbonara recipe that was a slight mistake on my part. I didn’t have the Italian bacon that I thought I had and I only had prosciutto at home. So pork is pork, I used it. Through the years it has changed a bit here and there but I found a sweet spot. I combine shallot, garlic, white wine, and a light honey drizzle to garnish. It adds a depth of flavor that I couldn’t even imagine. Give this rich pasta a try with your favorite glass of Chardonnay.
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small Shallots or 1 big
4 cloves of garlic
4 oz. Prosciutto
*OPTIONAL: 1 cup of chopped mushrooms
4 eggs (2 Whole eggs and 2 Yolks)
1 cup packed grated Parmesan, pecorino romano, or a mixture of both
1/4 cup of white wine (I prefer a buttery chardonnay)
12 oz of spaghetti (about 3/4 of the box)
Lots of black pepper
Light honey drizzle
Instructions
1
I always start by prepping everything that is needed for the meal because towards the end it gets pretty crazy. Start your pasta water with a heaping tablespoon of salt. Start mincing your shallot and garlic. Place that in a small bowl and set aside. Mix your 4 eggs in a bowl, add the cheese to it, and then add a ton of pepper (a little over a tablespoon). Mix well and set aside.
2
What I like to do with the prosciutto is take the thin slices and rip them into 1/3. Then loosely ball them into what I like to call “Roses.”
3
Ok so this is go time…This is where time is everything from this point on so read these instructions before starting this process.
On medium-high heat add your olive oil to a large saute pan. Add your prosciutto roses by spacing them as even as possible and don’t touch them for 5 minutes so the bottoms can brown. By this time your pasta water should be boiling so add your pasta to the water. Once the prosciutto is browned on the bottom add your shallot and garlic to the pan and give it a couple of tosses so you can incorporate everything together(If you’re using chopped mushrooms add now). Then let it sit for another 4-5 minutes. Add white wine to the prosciutto mixture and let reduce for a couple of minutes and scrape up any bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan. By this time your pasta should be al dente and ready. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Turn your prosciutto down to the lowest heat setting. Drain pasta and add to your prosciutto mixture and toss for a minute or so. Then add your egg mixture, take off the heat and toss for the next couple of minutes. If you’re finding that your mixture is more sticky add more pasta water. Serve on to plates right away.
4
Top off each plate with cheese, pepper, and a light honey drizzle. Enjoy!
