Spaghetti Carbonara with Sweet Peas
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, lightly crushed
6 ounces pancetta, cubed into small bite size pieces
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 large egg yolks
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Salt
3/4 cup fresh or thawed frozen baby peas
3/4 pound spaghetti
Freshly ground pepper
Fresh parsley for garnish
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a large skillet, heat your oil. Add your minced garlic and cook until fragrant, around 4 minutes. Watch to make sure it doesn’t burn. Once garlic is cooked, remove and discard from pan. (Leave the remaining stragglers). Add your diced pancetta to the pan. Cook until meat becomes golden and crisp. This will happen once the fat has rendered down substantially, around 5 – 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a papertowel lined bowl.
Add the cream and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Remove from heat and pour into a medium sized bowl. Whisk in the egg yolks and 1/3 cup of the Parmesan cheese.
Add the baby peas to your boiling water, and cook until tender. This should only take 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked peas to a bowl.
Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook until al dente; drain. Return the pasta to the pot and add the cream mixture, pancetta and peas. Season with salt and pepper and toss until the sauce coats the spaghetti. Transfer to bowls and serve immediately with the remaining Parmesan and fresh parsley.