Vintage Cheddar Pasta Carbonara
By Raybird.
Servings: 3. Non Vegetarian 
Italians, do not read further. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and since our Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino are sold out, we had to improvise to make our favourite bowl of Pasta Carbonara. Fortunately, Ford Farm's Vintage Extra Mature Cheddar came to the rescue. This delicious cheese is aged for at least 12 months, giving it a rich, nutty flavour and crumbly texture just like Italian Parmigiano. When combined with sweet and smokey Simonini Pancetta Bacon, and chewy Morelli Tagliatelle Pasta, the result is insanely delicious.
Ingredients
| 1 cup grated (~80 grams) | |
| Morelli Egg Tagliatelle (or Spaghetti, or Tonnnarelli) | 250 grams |
| Simonini Pancetta Bacon, Sliced | 1 packet (150 grams) |
| Eggs, whole | 1 each |
| Egg Yolks | 4 each |
| Olive Oil | 2 tbsp |
| Ishka Farms Kerala Black Pepper, freshly ground | To taste |
| Salt | To taste |
Method
- Bring a pot of water to boil for the pasta. Season with two teaspoons of salt. Add the pasta and set your timer for about 8 minutes, mixing occasionally so the pasta strands don't stick to each other.
- In a large bowl combine the whole egg, egg yolks (save the whites for something else), grated Vintage Cheddar, and a generous crack of black pepper. Mix and keep aside.
- Cut the bacon into small pieces. Add them to a pan with the olive oil and sauté over medium heat until brown and crisp.
- Once the pasta is 95% cooked, taste a piece to check before straining it. Have another container below your colander to save the cooking liquid. Immediately add the pasta to the pan with the crispy bacon and toss it.
- While the bacon and pasta are still very hot, add them, along with all the bacon fat and olive oil in the pan, to the egg and cheese mixture. Add 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking liquid.
- With rubber tongs or a rubber spatula quickly mix it all together, the heat from the pasta and bacon will cook the eggs and melt the cheese into a beautiful creamy sauce.
- If you find the sauce too thin, you can transfer it back to the pan with the pasta and everything else and cook it on a very low heat while mixing constantly until it thickens - but be very careful or the sauce will turn into scrambled eggs (which are delicious, but not pasta carbonara!).
- Plate your pasta in a bowl and top with more grated cheese and bacon. Enjoy!
