Spaghetti alla Carbonara with Duck Eggs
Two spaghetti dishes in a row? Clearly, I need to diversify my dinner choices! Though it may seem overdone, I had to try making a carbonara (would you believe this was my first time making it?!) once I discovered duck eggs.
In early 2022, thanks to a home allergy test, my sensitivity to chicken eggs was revealed. I’m able to eat eggs when baked or cooked into other things (like egg pasta), but carbonara, with its eggy sauce, scared me off. When I sampled duck eggs from a local organic market and no stomachache followed, Matt gleefully reminded me that I could finally make carbonara.
It may not be traditional, but I think duck eggs alter this Roman classic for the better. Duck eggs have bigger yolks and are richer and creamier in flavor - perfect for decadently coating spaghetti noodles.
Duck Egg Carbonara
Ingredients:
1/2 lb dried pasta (rigatoni is typical in Rome, but I used spaghetti alla chitarra)
6 duck egg yolks
Grated pecorino romano
4 oz diced guanciale (pancetta is a good substitute if you cannot find guanciale)
Freshly ground cracked pepper to taste
Directions:
Bring a pot of salted water to boil.
In a bowl, whisk egg yolks and a few spoonfuls of pecorino. Only add enough cheese to create a thick, but still pourable, paste.
Add pasta to now-boiling water.
Separately, heat a sauté pan over medium-high, adding guanciale when hot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until guanciale is crispy and fully cooked. Remove to plate.
Once cooked, reduce heat to low. Add pasta to sauté pan with guanciale fat and stir well.
Turn off the heat and add cheese and egg mixture, stirring frequently until pasta is coated. Add a ladle or two of pasta water and stir - sauce should be creamy but not watery.
Add guanciale and cracked pepper to pan, toss, and remove from heat.
Serve immediately, garnishing with more pecorino and cracked pepper if desired.
