When you have a lot of Porchetta in the house, you tend to get creative. So far we’ve had sandwiches (delicious), tacos (very tasty), and Carbonara (even better than traditional?!). Carbonara is one of my favourite pasta dishes, so it was inevitable that our porchetta ended up in a gorgeous glossy egg and cheese sauce.

I learned about carbonara from an old boss of mine who, after finding out that I love bacon and eggs, insisted that I had to try carbonara. “It’s like having breakfast for dinner,” she told me. Anything that remotely resembles breakfast for dinner and I’m sold.

Making carbonara is all about timing. Start boiling the pasta first and then get started on crisping up your pork. By the time the pork is crisp, you should be ready to toss the hot pasta with the “sauce.” The heat of the pasta cooks the egg and melts the cheese, causing it to coat and cling to each strand of pasta. If you’ve never had carbonara, you should: crispy bits of pork and a silky, rich sauce make this a must-have dish!

I am porky, I am egg-y, I am Porchetta Carbonara!

Porchetta Carbonara Recipe
serves 2

• 1/4 cup chopped porchetta (feel free to use pancetta or bacon)
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley, or to taste
• 4 ounces of your favorite long pasta

Start by boiling a pot of water and then cooking your pasta according to the package. Time it so that everything else is prepared by the time the pasta is cooked.

Fry the porchetta in a small sauté pan over medium heat until it starts to crisp at the edges.

Break the egg into big enough to toss the pasta in. Beat it lightly with a fork, then add the cheese, a liberal grinding of pepper, and the chopped parsley. Mix thoroughly. Add cooked drained spaghetti to the bowl, and toss rapidly, coating the strands well. Add the entire contents of the porchetta pan into the bowl, toss thoroughly again, and enjoy at once.