Vanni’s Carbonara (Continued)

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Recipe

Bucatini Carbonara alla Vanni

Vanni taught me this recipe at his home in Bernex, Switzerland, in 1974. His carbonara used egg yolks, bacon, Parmesan, black pepper and a little nutmeg. My only substantial change has been to replace part of the Parmesan with Pecorino Romano for a little more bite. There is no cream. The creaminess comes from the egg yolks, finely grated cheese, rendered bacon fat and starchy pasta water.

Servings4

Ingredients

Pasta and Bacon

1 pound dry bucatini

1 pound plain thick-cut slab bacon, preferably Boar’s Head, without maple, hickory or other added flavoring

Salt for the pasta water

Egg and Cheese Mixture

6 large egg yolks, preferably at room temperature

5 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese

2½ ounces finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Freshly ground black pepper

A generous pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

To Finish

1 to 1½ cups reserved pasta water, as needed

Additional grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, optional

Additional black pepper

Method

Prepare the Bacon

Put the bacon in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes. It should become firm enough to slice cleanly, but not freeze solid.

Cut the bacon into small cubes, approximately ¼ inch.

Place the bacon in a cold, large skillet and set it over low heat. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the bacon cubes are well cooked and crisp, but not burned.

Keep the bacon and rendered fat warm over the lowest possible heat while you prepare the pasta.

Cook the Bucatini

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the bucatini and cook until al dente according to the package directions.

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