Recipe: Elemental Carbonara (Pasta with a Fried Egg and Parmigiano)

ELEMENTAL CARBONARA
(PASTA WITH A FRIED EGG AND PARMIGIANO)



"One day when I was craving a creamy pasta dish, I made the fried egg dish with spaghetti instead of asparagus. The soft-cooked yolk and cheese melted into a satisfying sauce, a lazy person's elemental Carbonara, the ultimate instant soul food.

To gild the !ily, cook some diced bacon, fry the eggs in the fat, and toss the crispy pieces with the pasta. Or, as a further improvisation, toss the spaghetti with a cooked vegetable, such as oven-roasted peppers, before topping it with the egg."

12 to 16 ounces spaghetti, linguine, or other pasta (depending on how hungry you are)
4 extra-large eggs
Butter or olive oil
3/4 grated Parmigiano cheese, divided use
Salt and pepper
Coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional, for garnish)

In a large pot of boiling well-salted water, cook pasta until it is slightly underdone (the pasta will keep cooking after it's drained). With a measuring cup, scoop out 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta and set the colander over a bowl while you start the eggs; set the pot aside.

Fry eggs in butter or olive oil.

While the eggs are cooking, return the pasta to the cooking pot. Add about 1/3 cup of the cooking water and 6 tablespoons grated Parmigiano. Toss until the cheese has melted and the pasta is coated with a creamy sauce, adding more cooking water if necessary to keep the pasta moist. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Divide the pasta evenly among 4 warm dinner plates. Sprinkle with the remaining 6 tablespoons grated cheese and arrange a fried egg in the center of each mound. Scatter coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley over the top, if desired. Serve at once, instructing your guests to break the yolk and toss the egg with the pasta.

Makes 4 servings
Used by permission to Recipelink.com from William Morrow
Source: The Improvisational Cook by Sally Schneider