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Spicy Carbonara

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5 from 1 review

This Spicy Carbonara is amazing. Nothing pleases me more than a big bowl of creamy pasta. The smokiness of the Spanish chorizo sausage, and the umami element of the Parmigiano Reggiano make this dish the ultimate comfort meal.

Ingredients

Scale

1 package (200 g) sausage link of Spanish Chorizo Sausage (I used mild)

300g of penne pasta

1-1/2 cups of FRESHLY GRATED Parmiggiano Reggiano plus more for garnish

6 egg yolks

2 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp Calabrian chili crisp

1 tbsp of olive oil

Parsley for garnish (optional)

Salt & Black Pepper

Instructions

  1. In a large pot, boil water for the pasta. Salt the water. Make it taste like the sea.
  2. Mince your garlic.
  3. Slice your chorizo sausage to 1/2 inch size.
  4. Grate your Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese. My trick is to use your food processor - cheese grater attachment. It saves time and your hands from being grated. If you don't have a food processor, a regular grated will work. It will take a little bit more time.
  5. In a bowl, add 1-1/2 cups of parmesan cheese and 6 egg yolks. Add some pepper and mix well.
  6. In your large skillet, add 1 tbsp of olive oil, and saute your chorizo sausages until crispy, around 5 minutes. Remove from the pan. Remove excess oil.
  7. In the same pan, medium heat, saute the garlic and add the Calabrian chili.
  8. Add your pasta to the boiling water. Cook until al dente. Drain pasta. Save 1-2 cups of your pasta water.
  9. In your egg mixture, start adding a little bit of the hot pasta water. This is called tempering your eggs. It will prevent your egg and cheese mixture from curdling.
  10. Turn the heat off your skillet and remove the pan from the hot element.
  11. Add the pasta into the pan and 1/2 cup of hot pasta water. Then add the cheese mixture in and start mixing it well. Your sauce will start to thicken. Add more pasta water if you need to loosen up the sauce.
  12. Add your chorizo and garnish with a tiny bit of parsley for color.
  13. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

  • Use your food processor to grate your cheese.
  • Make sure the pan is turned off and removed from heat before adding in the egg and cheese mixture.
  • Tempering the egg mixture is KEY to the success of your carbonara

Find it online: https://www.eatwithcarmen.com/spicy-carbonara/