Carbonara, one of my favorite pasta dishes from Rome! It’s like having breakfast for dinner… with pasta. What could be better? This recipe adds ramps, which are a wild onion or leek foraged during the Spring. They taste like a cross between garlic and onion or even an onion and scallion, but much easier to eat raw unlike onions.
If you can’t find ramps (since they are foraged), no worries! Simply omit them along with the olive oil and you’ll have an authentic carbonara. Alternatively, you can substitute for a 1/2 cup minced chives.
Carbonara is a pretty filling dish on its own but if you do want to pair it with something, I’ve made cotolette alla milanese (breaded chicken) and some baked mixed vegetables such as broccoli and cauliflower.
Servings: 6-8
Ingredients:
1 package (16 oz) spaghetti
4 oz guanciale or pancetta, diced (in a pinch, bacon will also work)
2 large bunches of wild ramps, chopped, stem with bulb and greens separated (greens can be cut into 2”)
1 tbsp olive oil
1-2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4-1/2 cup (plus more for serving) grated Parmesan or a mix of Parmesan and Pecorino Romano
Sat and pepper
Crushed red pepper (optional)
Directions:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, start to cook your guanciale or pancetta over medium heat. Once the water starts to boil, salt your water and add your pasta, cooking until al dente. If your pasta is done before your guanciale or pancetta, do not drain, you need to reserve your pasta water. In a small bowl, add all of your eggs, cheese, salt and pepper. The amount of eggs you use will depend on their size. I used 1 large egg and 2 egg yolks but as I was assembling I felt like it could have used another egg. As your guanciale or pancetta begins to brown, add olive oil and your chopped ramp stem and bulb. Continue cooking for a few minutes, then add your ramp leaves and cook until wilted. Turn off heat. Your pasta should be done so using tongs or a pasta ladle, transfer the pasta to your skillet with a ladle of pasta water. Add about 1 tbsp of pasta water to your egg mixture to temper it so the egg doesn’t cook. Add the egg mixture to your skillet and mix everything together, adding more pasta water as necessary to get a creamy texture. Serve warm with some extra grated Parmesan and crushed red pepper if desired.
Recipe inspired from unpeeled.
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