The other day after a Monday at the office, Brad and I arrived home and remembered – we need to eat dinner! Actually I’d been starving all day so it took no recall for me to remember this event – all I was focused on was what do I have on hand, what will be relatively quick to make, and what sounds fun for this spring Monday?

In the refrigerator I found a package of guanciale – a most amazing piece of cured pork cheek that was in my recent Boccalone box. (More on my Boccalone boxes soon!) We were told when we picked up the meat at Incanto that guanciale was the traditional meat used for spaghetti alla carbonara. And with that promise, I agreed that I would make a batch of carbonara pasta for us – one day.

The fact I must confess is that I generally do not like creamy types of sauces. I’m much more of a fresh and light flavor eater. Plus quite frankly, most cream sauces in the U.S. do a disservice to the concept of Italian cuisine and generally should be avoided – in my opinion! I’ve had cream & egg based sauces in Italy and they certainly brokered none of the complaints I have about them in the states. BUT the point is, I come from a perspective of not really loving heavy, creamy types of pasta dishes and rarely – if ever – concede to create one at home.

Tonight became the chosen evening for a carbonara adventure. Carbonara dishes come together spectacularly easily and when you can use the freshest of local ingredients, you can’t complain about the health detriments (too much). The same day we picked up the guanciale, we picked up a fettuccine from our favorite store that appealed to us. On Saturday at the farmer’s market, I had picked up fresh eggs from my favorite egg supplier. And I had parmesan in the fridge. With those simple ingredients – carbonara was ready to be made!

One note about the guanciale – though I will post much more information about it shortly when I post about Boccalone. Though it would be wildly frowned upon by a purist I am sure, do feel free to use pancetta or bacon in lieu of the guanciale which may be impossible to locate where you live. If however you can secure guanciale – it is worth the effort! We were blown away by the flavors and depth of this simple cured meat.

With those notes, I present to you fettuccine alla carbonara. Enjoy and let me know what you think!

Ingredients (for 4 servings):

• 4 oz. of guanciale (or pancetta or bacon)
• 2 eggs, the fresher the better
• 1 c. grated parmesan cheese
• 3/4 – 1 lb. of spaghetti or fettuccine
• freshly ground pepper & salt to taste

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
2. Mince or roughly chop the guanciale – the smaller the chop the smaller the flecks will be in the pasta.
3. Warm a saute pan to medium-high heat. Add the guanciale and saute until nicely browned and just a bit crispy.
4. Meanwhile cook the pasta as directed (usually 5-10 minutes) in the boiling water.
5. Lightly beat the eggs and combine with the cheese.
6. When the pasta has been fully cooked and drained, add the egg & cheese mixture and stir well. Add the cooked meat and combine. Put into serving dishes and pepper well. Add salt sparingly though.
7. Enjoy your authentic (as far as my research shows!) Italian carbonara dish!