Bacon& Egg Carbonara

This carbonara takes the tableside approach: each person gets a warm bowl lined with sour cream, a nest of bacon-tossed pasta, and a raw egg yolk dropped into the center. You stir it all together yourself, and the heat from the pasta gently cooks the yolk into a silky, golden sauce right in the bowl.

Warming the bowls in a low oven with the sour cream already spooned in is a smart detail. The sour cream softens and warms just enough to blend smoothly with the hot pasta when you toss everything together. Cold sour cream would cool the pasta down and leave the egg yolk undercooked.

The bacon gets cooked until crisp, then most of the drippings get drained off. Just three tablespoons stay in the pan, which is enough to coat the pasta without making it greasy. Toss the drained pasta and sliced chives into the bacon pan with two forks so every strand gets coated in smoky fat and little crispy bits.

A generous cup of grated Parmesan goes on top after mixing. The heat melts it into the sauce.

Chef Tips

• Use the freshest eggs you can find since the yolks are essentially raw. Pasteurized eggs are the safest choice
• Warm the bowls and sour cream in a 200°F (93°C) oven while the pasta cooks. Cold bowls kill the dish
• Drain the pasta well. Water clinging to the noodles dilutes the rich sauce
• Toss quickly and serve immediately. This dish waits for no one

Variations

• Use pancetta or guanciale instead of bacon for a more traditional Italian carbonara
• Swap sour cream for ricotta for a lighter, grainier sauce
• Add a crack of black pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat