Orecchiette Carbonara With Peas

Ingredients

• Salt
• 3 ounces apple-wood smoked bacon, thickly sliced and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 4 ounces pancetta, coarsely chopped so you have 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
• 1 ½ cups peas
• 2 teaspoons thyme leaves
• 3 eggs
• 6 egg yolks
• 1 ¾ cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1 pound orecchiette
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 20 small pea shoots (or small spinach leaves)
• ½ lemon
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

• Nutritional Information

  • Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

    990 calories; 46 grams fat; 18 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 17 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 99 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 41 grams protein; 268 milligrams cholesterol; 714 milligrams sodium

  Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
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4 servings

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. In a large sauté pan, place bacon and pancetta in oil over medium-low heat. Cook until bacon is browned and has rendered most of its fat. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of fat, leaving meat in the pan. Scrape in onion and garlic, and sauté until glassy and translucent, then add peas and thyme. Cook for 1 minute, then turn off heat.
2. In a large mixing bowl, lightly whisk together eggs, egg yolks and cheese.
3. When water comes to a rolling boil, stir in pasta and cook until tender but still a little chewy in the center (like a piece of gum). Ladle out a cup of cooking water, and reserve. Drain pasta, and pour it into sauté pan with bacon; grind coarse pepper over top. Fold pasta into sauce.
4. Tip pasta into egg mixture, and fold it all together quickly, so eggs cook and coat pasta with a velvety sauce. Add pea tendrils (or spinach), and fold once more. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding a generous squeeze of lemon juice. Add a little pasta water if it becomes too thick. Spoon into shallow bowls, and sprinkle with parsley.