Umami
Umami

Seanna’s Recipes

Carbonara Style Pastina

-

servings

18 minutes

total time

Ingredients

4 oz pancetta or guanciale, diced (set aside 1 tbsp for topping)

1 tbsp leftover pancetta fat

1 cup acini di pepe

3 cups chicken broth

1 large egg yolk

1 whole egg

Black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano (or Parmesan)

1 tbsp butter

1-2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)

Chives for garnish

Olive oil for garnish

Directions

Cook the Pancetta:

Add pancetta to a cold pot, then raise the heat to medium. Cook the pancetta until crispy, about 5-7 minutes.

Remove the pancetta from the skillet, along with about 2 tbsp of the rendered fat. Set aside, leaving the remainder of the fat in the pan.

Toast the Pastina:

Reduce heat to low and add the pastina to the pot. Stir and toast for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until lightly golden. (I let mine go a little too long so you can see some brown pieces in the video).

Simmer in Chicken Broth:

Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer the pastina until tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.

Prepare the Carbonara Mixture:

While the pastina is cooking, whisk together the eggs, black pepper, 2-3 oz of grated Pecorino Romano, and the leftover pancetta fat in a small bowl until smooth.

Add the Carbonara Mixture:

When the pastina is cooked, turn the heat off and throw in a touch of butter.

Pour the egg mixture into the pastina, stirring immediately to prevent scrambling, until the sauce becomes creamy and coats the pasta.

Add Pancetta and Serve:

Stir the crispy pancetta back into the pastina.

Serve with extra black pepper, grated Pecorino Romano, crispy pancetta, chopped chives, and a drizzle of olive oil on top.

-

servings

18 minutes

total time
Start Cooking

Ready to start cooking?

Collect, customize, and share recipes with Umami. For iOS and Android.