Duck Egg Carbonara
The simplicity of Pasta Carbonara is one of the things that makes it so magical. It's the kind of dish that will only be as special as the ingredients used to make it. So here’s your chance to go all out and get that special wedge of parmesan cheese, the best and thickest bacon you can find, and the biggest and freshest duck eggs in town (at Carriage House Farm of course!)
Ingredients
6 oz thick cut bacon, about 4-6 slices
1 pound bucatini
4 duck egg yolks
1 duck egg
½ cup parmesan cheese, shredded
Salt
Black pepper
½ cup frozen Green Peas, thawed
Directions
Cut the bacon into ½ inch pieces. Cook slowly on low heat in a medium skillet until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp, but not crumbling. Drain the bacon from the fat and reserve the drippings to use later. Let the bacon cool.
Boil pasta in well-salted water.
While pasta is boiling, whisk together the egg and egg yolks in a large mixing bowl. Add a pinch of salt, a couple twists of fresh ground black pepper, the bacon, and the green peas.
When the pasta has finished cooking, drain and reserve about ½ cup of the cooking water.
Transfer the pasta right away to the bowl of egg mixture**. Use a pair of tongs to mix the pasta noodles in with the sauce, turning and scraping the sides of the bowl often. Add 2 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water and 2 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat and continue to mix.
Gradually add in the grated parmesan cheese, mixing well before adding more, until you have used the entire ½ cup amount. Continue adding pasta water as needed until the sauce is creamy and emulsified, just a tablespoon at a time. If you add too much water, the sauce will become thin and start to pool at the bottom of the bowl. Adding a little bit a time will help you achieve that perfect luscious sauce without accidentally overdoing it.
Serve while hot. Garnish with a final grating of cheese and twist of black pepper.
**Note
Adding the hot pasta directly into the bowl of the egg mixture is what “cooks” the eggs and creates the sauce. Mixing right away as soon as you add the pasta helps prevent the eggs from overcooking and accidentally turning into scrambled eggs.