PPN: Orecchiette Carbonara

Honestly I've been meaning to get this post up since Thursday.  For some reason every time I sit down to post something else comes up and it doesn't get done.   However, I'm glad to be able to share this for next week's Presto Pasta Night over at Ruth's Once Upon a Feast.  (Good thing she does this every week!)

I have such a huge stack of cooking magazines that lately I've been trying to go through them and actually mark recipes to be used (or get rid of the magazines that have nothing in them I'm interested in).  This one is for orecchiette pasta in a carbonara sauce with leeks and comes from April's issue of Bon Appetit.

What do I have to say about it?  It was delicious.  I loved the flavor of the leeks and I loved that it's healthier than our usual carbonara.   (Okay, so it's still not a healthy meal but it's not too bad.)  Unfortunately I was the only one that really liked it so I'm not sure how often I'll get to have it.  Darn.

Orecchiette Carbonara with Leeks
(courtesy of Bon Appetit magazine, April 2008)

• 4 applewood-smoked bacon slices, diced
• 2 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/3-inch pieces
• 10 ounces orecchiette (little ear-shaped pasta) or small shells
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley

1. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towel to drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet if necessary. Add leeks and sauté over medium heat until tender, about 6 minutes. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid.
3. Whisk eggs and 1/2 cup Parmesan in medium bowl to blend; gradually whisk in 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid. Add pasta to leeks in skillet and stir to heat. Remove skillet from heat. Pour egg mixture over pasta and stir until sauce is just creamy and eggs are no longer raw, about 2 minutes. (Return skillet to very low heat if egg mixture is runny; do not overcook or eggs will curdle.) Add some of remaining 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid to pasta if needed to moisten. Stir in bacon and parsley. Serve pasta, passing additional cheese separately.

Comments

[gizmar]

This cute pasta is one of my favorites - so cute and so fun to eat. Nice entry to PPN

[Alisha]

Isn't that one of the cuter shapes that's out there? I know I sometimes have a hard time finding it and usually have to look in the "imported" pasta section to find it.

[Ruth]

Looks so creamy and delicious. I must head out right now for some applewood smoked bacon to go with the leeks in the fridge. Thanks for sharing with Presto Pasta Nights