time to rethink my ways

October 08 2009 by Kristin at The Kitchen Sink in Uncategorized » 37 comments

When it comes to lunch, I’m pretty predictable: I’m generally a sandwich-or-soup kind of gal. If I’m feeling adventurous, I’ll make the sandwich hot or the soup cold, but I’m adventurous less often than not. On the weekends, from time to time, I’ll spice it up—eschewing my normal fare for a mish-mash of cheeses and crackers and fruit and such. In a very blue moon, I’ll manage to keep my early morning hunger at bay long enough to trade lunch in for brunch.

But, it might be time to rethink my ways.

Because on Sunday, in the late morning hours just before the football games got started, I got a carbonara craving. Kevin, for his part, was all too happy to indulge my craving—as he, bless his heart, so often is. So we gathered the following:

pasta—opting for bucatini, which is like a fat spaghetti, with an almost indiscernable tunnel through each strand, like someone pulled a slim needle and thread, just so, from end to end;
a pale green leek, picked up just that morning from the Nichols Farm stand at the Wicker Park Farmers’ Market;
a thick-cut round of pancetta, a swirl of pink and white;
a wedge each of parmesan and pecorino;
a little hill of fresh cracked pepper; and
a few eggs.

This promising cache of ingredients became a big bowl of pasta, swaddled in a thick, cheesy, peppery sauce and speckled with bits of pancetta and half moons of nearly-melted leek. Atop both Kevin’s and my pasta bowls sat a gently poached egg, white and swollen. As I held the bowl in my hand, just below my chin, and, with the tines of my fork, punctured the egg so its yellow yolk spilled onto the tangle of pasta below it, I realized: I’ve got a new lunch of choice.

Bucatini Carbonara

Inspired by this Gourmet (sniff) recipe.

Serves 2 to 4

1/2 pound bucatini
2 ounces pancetta, finely diced
1 leek, trimmed and sliced in half moons
1 egg, plus 1 egg per serving (e.g., if you’re serving two, you’ll need 3 eggs)
1/3 cup freshly grated parmigano-reggiano and/or pecorino romano (I used a combination of both)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
splash of vinegar

In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook the bucatini until almost al dente.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta to the heated skillet and cook until slightly browned. Add the sliced leek and cook until the leek is softened. Transfer the leek-pancetta mixture to a large bowl.

In another medium bowl, whisk together 1 egg, the cheese and pepper.

Once the pasta is almost al dente, transfer it to the large bowl holding the pancetta and leeks, reserving the pasta water and holding it at a gentle simmer. Add a splash of vinegar to the simmering water and crack the remaining eggs into small cups. Then pently pour the racked eggs into the simmering water. For a runny egg, cook the eggs for 2 to 3 minutes and remove carefully with a slotted spoon.

Whisk a tablespoon or so of the reserved pasta water, in a slow stream, into the egg mixture. Add the egg mixture to the bowl holding the pasta and pancetta-leek mixture; and toss for several minutes, until the sauce is thick and creamy.

Serve the pasta in bowls and top each bowl with a poached egg and, if desired, more freshly cracked black pepper.

37 comments so far. »
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Allison says on October 08 2009 at 6:38 pm:

What happened to my sister?!? This looks beautiful and sounds delicious!
amylouwho says on October 08 2009 at 6:49 pm:

you get me everytime. this looks amazing. I want some RIGHT. NOW. but really i should just go to bed.
Bekah says on October 08 2009 at 7:20 pm:

So I was browsing my google reader and found this post, and naturally, any time I see a soft poached egg, slightly cut open, I stop, and take a moment. To let the perfection sink in.

These pictures are beautiful, and I love the recipe.
Whitney says on October 08 2009 at 7:30 pm:

I just had dinner and I want a bowl of this RIGHT NOW.
Mel P. says on October 09 2009 at 1:10 am:

Oh my, this looks delicious!
Though I’m a fan of the classic carbonara version (http://lensandlentils.blogspot.com/2009/03/carbonara-quick-comfort-food.html), I will definitively try your version! The leek and the poached egg convinced me…
nik says on October 09 2009 at 5:55 am:

I dont care for eggs often, and the idea of pasta with breakfast food in it has always scared me (even being an Italian girl!) BUT, I may have to make an exception. That looks absolutely delish. Thanks for sharing, not only the pics but also your lovely choice of words. I always look forward to the culinary and literary treat at your blog.
Andrea [bella eats] says on October 09 2009 at 6:04 am:

Wow. Can I come to lunch at your house today? This looks incredible…I was just telling Brian that I want to try a carbonara recipe. And I love the poached egg on top…perfect.
andie says on October 09 2009 at 7:27 am:

yum. I want to eat that off my screen.
Half Assed Kitchen says on October 09 2009 at 7:28 am:

This looks fantabulous. But I’m nervous about eating soft eggs now…
Amy says on October 09 2009 at 7:54 am:

Ooh, love. Anything topped with a poached egg and sigh…I’m in heaven. Great interpretation of carbonara.
Dolce says on October 09 2009 at 8:53 am:

I think you just gave me an idea for tommorrow’s brunch I like the poached egg idea too…
Shannon says on October 09 2009 at 8:57 am:

I have to agree with mel, I am usually a stickler for the traditional carbonara, but the poached egg looks right at home and the creamy yoke is heavenly!
Mimi says on October 09 2009 at 9:08 am:

I love pasta carbonara, the poached egg is a delightful twist.
Mimi
tara says on October 09 2009 at 12:58 pm:

I would happy to be swaddled in that sauce. This weekend, our couch, football and your carbonara. Perfect.
Kevin says on October 09 2009 at 2:49 pm:

Still not sure how I pulled this one off! It was great, thanks!
giao {kiss my spatula} says on October 09 2009 at 3:30 pm:

how perfect can a carbonara look?? now i have the answer!!
tt says on October 09 2009 at 3:33 pm:

found your website through Amanda- Slow Like Honey. I love your photos- such great recipes. So excited to put you on my radar….and this recipe looks divine!
Devon says on October 09 2009 at 8:09 pm:

I just read a similar recipe, sans leek, in Gourmet. Yours actually looks better. Now I really want to make it.
Barbara says on October 10 2009 at 10:48 am:

Your photo is a grabber. I want some of that right this minute- and if I had the ingredients I might have made it here and now. In fact, I may just go to the grocery to get them!
Jill says on October 10 2009 at 2:48 pm:

Great post! This recipe looks delicious and you did a great job on the photos! Thanks for sharing.
Elizabeth says on October 10 2009 at 4:12 pm:

This looks lovely. I don’t think I could EVER poach an egg that well. Beautifully done!
Sam@BingeNYC says on October 11 2009 at 10:45 pm:

I JUST made something so similar to this, but without the pancetta and leek. What was I thinking? This looks incredible! YUM.
Eliana says on October 12 2009 at 7:44 am:

This looks amazing and like the perfec lunch to me.
zurin says on October 12 2009 at 9:12 am:

Those poached eggs look like dollops of cream! Amazing. I think I feel a craving coming up for pasta and poached eggs right now. Beautiful pics too.
Catherine says on October 12 2009 at 12:58 pm:

This looks so comforting in this cold weather. I’ll be trying this out asap.
Chiara says on October 12 2009 at 2:34 pm:

I never thought of making carbonara with a poached egg on top, but I’ll have to try next time. It looks amazing and I’m sure that it’s very satisfying to break open that egg and see all the yolk run out!
Kristin at The Kitchen Sink says on October 12 2009 at 7:47 pm:

Thanks, everyone! I think that I’ll sneak some herbs in there, too, next time. It might just be the nearly freezing temperatures talking, but I’m thinking sage would be a good fit.
oneshotbeyond says on October 13 2009 at 10:42 am:

beautiful!
BigGirlPhoebz says on October 13 2009 at 7:06 pm:

mmm this looks so delicious. I love the spin you put on classic carbonara by adding leeks. Obviously my favorite part of carbonara is the bacon. But my friend made thisVeggie Carbonara once and used cabbage as her spin. It caramelized really nicely as I imagine the leeks did as well. Will have to tell her to add them to her version–anything to make up for the lack of bacon!
Mystique says on October 15 2009 at 6:50 pm:

I was good up until the egg part, that ruined it for me, but it does look tasty.
Harry says on October 15 2009 at 7:14 pm:

Kristin, this was delightful… It caught my eye as I was considering trying something new for lunch the other day… rather than start totally from scratch I figured I’d give your recipe a shot, and twisted it up a little bit. Along with the leeks and pancetta, I let some slivers of portabella find their way in, as well as some sage. The result was excellent, and my guest enjoyed it too.

I think the poached egg was a very nice touch, and gives the dish some character and a little texture. Wonderful as always!
Kristin at The Kitchen Sink says on October 17 2009 at 6:39 am:

Harry: I’m so happy to hear you liked it! Thanks for reporting back.
Louie says on October 17 2009 at 9:59 pm:

I made pasta carbonara about a week ago, but when I saw the poached egg on top of your recipe, I made it again tonight for dinner. The bucatini is a nice choice – great bite to go with the creaminess of the egg.

Also, I have to say – your poached egg looks beautiful. I wish my eggs from the farmers market had yolk like that.
Sobrina says on October 20 2009 at 9:22 pm:

That egg looks so very perfect. I’ve never seen egg on carbonara before, but if it looks like that, it has to be a good idea!
Kristin at The Kitchen Sink says on October 21 2009 at 10:21 am:

Louie: Hello, old friend! I’m so happy to hear you still stop by the site. Glad you enjoyed the carbonara, too. Hope you’re doing well.

Sobrina: Thanks!
Karen says on November 02 2009 at 12:37 am:

My fiance and I loved your carbonara – we made it twice this weekend! We chopped up some fresh arugula to sprinkle over the pasta – a tasty addition. The second time we made it we added a squeeze of lemon and about 1/2 tsp of salt to the sauce and quite liked the result. Thanks for your wonderful blog!
Lynna says on November 27 2009 at 8:29 am:

yum.