In my books nothing beats a big, beautiful bowl of pasta. Midweek I like to use up the contents of my fridge. This week I was in luck. On hand following my weekend deli splurge? Egg fettuccine, pancetta and parmigiano-reggiano. What to make? A simple Fettuccine alla carbonara. My Nona’s version. Authentic. Unadulterated No cream. No ham. No overcooked scrambled eggs. Just simple ingredients beautifully combined at the very last minute to produce a stunning result. Try it. You’ll see.
Fettuccine Alla Carbonara
120 g pancetta, sliced into small strips
2 large cloves garlic minced
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
3 eggs
1/3 cup freshly grated reggiano parmigiano cheese or pecorino romano
¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
500 g fettuccine
Freshly ground black pepper
BRING a large pot of water to the boil for the pasta. When the water comes to the boil, add a good pinch of salt and cook the fettuccine until al dente. Drain well and place in a serving bowl.
MEANWHILE place the olive oil and pancetta in a saucepan on a very low heat for 5 minutes.
ADD the garlic. Cook for another 5 minutes on low heat stirring occasionally until the pancetta is crisp.
IN a separate bowl beat together the eggs, parsley and a little salt.
ADD the pancetta, garlic and pan juices to the pasta and toss.
FINALLY add the egg mixture, cheese and some freshly grated pepper and toss quickly. Serve immediately.
The Paddington Foodie 
OMG! That looks so good!
The wonderful thing about this dish is that it is just thrown together in the time it takes to boil a pan of water for your pasta. Proving yet again the best dishes are always the simplest.
It was good particularly for something that was just thrown together at the last minute.
You got me here on this one! This is my favorite pasta. I had to have this pasta at least once a week when I was pregnant! (15 years ago) We use to joke about my bacon and egg pasta craving. You have posted the perfect recipe for Carbonara. I love it exactly this way. 🙂
Mine too. Ticks all the boxes every single time. Simple and delicious. Not surprising it has withstood the test of time. You must be a carbonara aficionado by now.
We have debated long and hard in my office about the addition of cream to a carbonara, but I think in this case the jury is in and its clearly on the side of the ‘no cream’. Looks sensational!
I have had that debate many times too. It can be summed up in just three little words. Nona knows best.
I don’t like pasta but must admit that this looks fab! I love that there’s no cream. Would have liked to see the calorie count, too, for your dishes that are not part of your 500 cal days 🙂
Calorie counting must be one of my least favourite activities. I find it exhausting. Necessary on a fast day and avoided at all costs on my feast days. To be honest I would probably be horrified to realize exactly how many calories are in some of my meals.