Pasta Carbonara With Quail Eggs
- Prep time: 5 min
- Cook time: 15 min
- Serves: 4
While the origins of carbonara as a dish aren’t fully known, we do know that it’s a delicious spin on long-noodled pasta and that it came out of Italy in the 20th century. What makes carbonara so fun to make is the simple list of ingredients; what makes it delicious to eat is its rich egg coating!
The brilliant creaminess happens when the cooked pasta water is combined with the parmesan cheese, quail eggs and bacon fat. Silky smooth and rich as can be. No cream needed! Eat it while it’s hot for the ultimate experience.
Ingredients
- 1 lb dry spaghetti noodles
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 4 oz cubed bacon or smoked bacon crumble
- 6 quail eggs
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (Parmesan) cheese, with more for garnish
- 1 handful fresh Italian parsley, chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Before you begin: Please note that the sauce must be ready before or at the same time as the spaghetti noodles. This ensures that the cooked spaghetti noodles are hot and ready — adding the egg mixture to the hot pasta is what cooks the raw quail eggs.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti noodles and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender yet firm (al dente).
While the noodles boil, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic and sauté quickly for 30 to 60 seconds. Next, add the bacon, frying it to desired crispiness.
Drain the pasta well, reserving 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water to use in the sauce.
Add the hot, drained spaghetti to the frying pan and toss for 2 minutes to coat the strands in the bacon fat. Beat the quail eggs and Parmesan together in a mixing bowl, stirring well to prevent lumps.
Remove the pan from the heat and pour the quail egg and cheese mixture into the pasta, whisking quickly until the quail eggs thicken. Do not scramble the eggs (the whisking happens off the heat to prevent this from happening.) Thin out the sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water, until it reaches your desired consistency.
Season the carbonara with several turns of freshly ground black pepper and salt (to taste). Mound the pasta into warm serving bowls and garnish with chopped parsley. Pass more cheese around the table and be sure to eat it hot!
