Coal Miner Style Spaghetti

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan and stir in the pancetta. Cook until crispy. Set aside and keep warm.

Cook the spaghetti until it is al dente, in 4 quarts of rapidly boiling, salted water. Al dente means still firm but no uncooked flour is visible when a strand of spaghetti is broken in half.

Drain the spaghetti in a colander, and save 6 tablespoons of the water. Add 2 tablespoons of the reserved water to the sauté pan with the spaghetti and toss well for a few minutes over low heat to get the spaghetti really hot.  Remove the pan from the stovetop and rapidly stir in the beaten eggs, 2 more tablespoons of the reserved water, and half the cheese.  Combine well.  If the spaghetti seems dry, add the last 2 tablespoons of the cooking water.

Add the reserved pancetta and any drippings. Stir well.  Add a good grinding of the pepper.  Add salt if needed. Transfer to a platter and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.  Serve immediately.

This recipe is from Ciao Italia Five-Ingredient Favorites by Mary Ann Esposito.

This recipe is featured on show 2007 – Give Me Pasta.