Serves 4 As An Entrée, 8 As A First Course
8 Ounces Thick Sliced Smoked Bacon Cut Into Julienne Strips Crosswise
1 Cup Thinly Sliced Red Onion
½ Cup White Wine (Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Chablis)
1 Cup Crème Fraiche or Heavy Cream
1 Cup Parmesan Cheese
6 Ounces Prosciutto, Thinly Sliced and Cut Into Julienned Strips Crosswise
1 Cup Fresh or Frozen Sweet Peas
1 Large Egg, Lightly Beaten
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Pound Pasta, Cooked Al Dente
1 Cup Reserved Pasta Water
Have your pot of salted boiling water ready to cook the pasta. While you are waiting for the water to boil begin the recipe.
In a large sauté pan sauté the bacon until most of the fat is rendered. Add the red onion and sauté until onion begins to turn translucent. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and reduce by half. Add the crème fraiche or heavy cream and cook until slightly thickened. Add the Parmesan cheese and cook until completely incorporated. Add the prosciutto and peas and cook until just heated through. Add the egg and quickly stir to incorporate the egg. Don’t let it scramble. Add the freshly ground black pepper.
Add the pasta and toss to combine with the sauce. If it seems a little too thick for your liking add a bit of the reserved pasta water. You want this to be creamy but not thin and runny.
Serve immediately.
Hint and Tips: You want the pasta to be hot and right out of the boiling water when you toss it in the sauce. I suggest that you make the sauce up to the point of adding the lightly beaten egg. Move the sauce off of the heat. Cook your pasta and before draining take out about a cup of the pasta water and set aside. Just before you add the pasta to the sauce incorporate the egg into the sauce. The hot pasta will cook the egg.
You can use whatever shape pasta you like. I love Spaghetti or Fettuccini for this recipe. If you use fresh pasta instead of dried I suggest you use 12 ounces of pasta for this recipe. To use a pound of fresh pasta add 25% more cream or creme fraiche. Fresh pasta seems to soak up all of the sauce and causes the pasta to to be dry.
