Over the past several weeks, Austin has experienced some exceptionally strange weather, as have many parts of the country. As the nonstop rain continues to saturate the thirsty earth, it also bestows a diminished sense of urgency for all of my normal to-dos in what would be a very chaotic month. When the weather is bleak, home becomes more of a place of refuge and rest. This pasta carbonara is the ideal dish to feed the soul on a cozy spring day like today. The dry-cured pork belly is a lot easier than it sounds! I made mine at a meat-curing class at Salt & Time here in Austin (which I highly recommend!) but it’s so incredibly simple to do at home too. The only “difficult” part about this is the waiting part after you season the meat, but if you plan ahead a little, I promise you it will be well worth the time (ideally a week)! And if you’re more of a spontaneous meal person (which, let’s face it, is most of the time) thick slab bacon is a perfect substitute. Buen provecho!
- 1 1 lb pork belly, cured, (see recipe below) or 6 slices thick, butcher cut bacon
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lb spaghetti or capellini pasta
- 8 ounces fresh or frozen peas
- ½ cup parmigiano reggiano cheese, grated
- 3 Tablespoons good extra virgin olive oil (or truffle-infused olive oil)
- 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 5-6 poached eggs
- If using pork belly, cut cured pork belly into ¼ inch wide strips and again into smaller bite-size pieces. In a nonstick or cast-iron skillet, cook pork belly over medium heat until its reaches desired crispness (for me, about 12 minutes). Remove and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. (If using bacon, cook until evenly crisp.)
- Cook garlic in the pork fat, about 1 minute. Remove and add to plate with cooked pork belly.
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Add peas about 3 minutes before draining the noodles.
- Meanwhile, grate the parmigiano cheese and set aside.
- Put hot pasta and peas into a large serving dish. Sprinkle cheese over the noodles and toss with olive oil. Top each serving with a poached egg.
- 1 1 lb pork belly
- 1½ teaspoons sea salt
- ½ teaspon freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 5-6 juniper berries (optional)
- Combine all spices in a bowl. Press spice mixture into pork belly to evenly coat. Place in an airtight bag for at least three days up to a week.
- Cook it just as you would bacon or pancetta.
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