Kevin Cooks: Chili Oil Carbonara

A bad photo I took of carbonara from Rome, Italy

Carbonara is one of those dishes with a high floor and high ceiling. What I mean by this is that at its most basic level, it tastes amazing almost every time. It’s a simple dish; one that I learned early on. Like most simple dishes, you can’t really mess up the flavor. If you get the pancetta or bacon or pork belly, cook the pasta correctly, and add enough Parmesan, it always tastes good. Once you had carbonara once, you definitely had it multiple times. And there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s safe. You know what you’re getting yourself into before you order it and you usually leave satisfied with what you got. This is its high floor.

In Italy, I had to get carbonara at least once. There I discovered the high ceiling. Although its simplicity allows it to be consistent, paradoxically, it’s that same characteristic that allows it to be spectacular. Here, I try to recreate the spectacular with my own twist.

Ingredients:

• 3 garlic cloves

• A large spoon full of tomato paste

• As much Chili oil as you want

• 1 can (28 oz) of crushed tomatoes

• Pancetta/Pork belly/Bacon (up to you)

• 3 egg yolk

• Lots of freshly grated parmesan and pecorino Romano (optional)

• Black pepper

• Spaghetti pasta

Directions:

Start by mincing your garlic and boiling a hot pot of water. Cook your spaghetti.

Heat up a skillet and start cooking your pancetta (which is what I used, but you can use pork belly or bacon). Once the fat renders out and it cooks, place the pancetta to the side but save the fat.

Cook the minced garlic in the oil. Add tomato paste and your chili oil. Give it a quick stir before adding in your can of tomatoes.

In a separate bowl, separate the egg whites from the egg yolk. Keep the egg yolk and mix with your grated blend of cheese until it becomes a thick yellow paste.

Add your cooked spaghetti and some pasta water to your skillet with the chili oil pasta sauce. Add the egg yolk/cheese mixture. Stir and serve.