Cheongyang Chili Carbonara Spaghetti
Quick answer
Cheongyang chili carbonara spaghetti takes the classical Roman carbonara - built on egg yolks, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and Pecorino Romano emulsified with rendered pork fat...
What makes this special
- Sharp cheongyang chili heat cuts through a classic carbonara base of egg yolks and pancetta.
- Cheongyang chili bloomed 30 seconds in pancetta fat infuses spice into the oil
- Classic egg base uses both Parmigiano and Pecorino Romano
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Bring 2L of water to a boil with 6g coarse salt.
- 2 In a bowl whisk together 3 egg yolks, 45g grated Parmigiano, 25g grated Peco...
- 3 Fry 90g pancetta in a pan over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes until crisp.
Cheongyang chili carbonara spaghetti takes the classical Roman carbonara - built on egg yolks, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and Pecorino Romano emulsified with rendered pork fat - and introduces the sharp, lingering heat of Korean cheongyang peppers. Pancetta is rendered slowly over medium-low heat until the fat is fully released and the meat turns crisp, and the sliced chili and garlic are added to the rendered fat for just thirty seconds - long enough to infuse the oil with heat and fragrance without scorching the garlic. The cheese-egg base is made by whisking yolks with finely grated cheese until smooth; a useful ratio is two yolks to 20 grams of Parmigiano-Reggiano and 10 grams of Pecorino. This mixture must be folded into the drained pasta off direct heat, using reserved pasta water to loosen and emulsify - the starch and salt in the pasta water are what allow the sauce to coat each strand evenly rather than clump. The cheongyang pepper's capsaicin cuts cleanly through the concentrated richness of the egg and cheese fat, providing a clean finish that the classic Roman version does not have. The chili quantity is easy to adjust upward or downward, and using fresh whole peppers instead of pre-cut pieces produces a sharper heat with more green, vegetal character.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Finish
Bring 2L of water to a boil with 6g coarse salt.
Cook 180g spaghetti for 1 minute less than the package time and reserve 200ml pasta water before draining.
- 2Step
In a bowl whisk together 3 egg yolks, 45g grated Parmigiano, 25g grated Pecorino, and the coarsely ground pepper until smooth.
Set aside.
- 3Control
Fry 90g pancetta in a pan over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes until crisp.
Add 1 thinly sliced cheongyang chili and 5g minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- 4Control
Add the cooked spaghetti to the pan and pour in 80ml pasta water.
Toss over medium heat for 1 minute until the starch from the water emulsifies with the fat.
- 5Season
Remove the pan from heat and wait 10-15 seconds to lower the temperature.
Add the egg base and stir rapidly to form a creamy sauce. If the eggs scramble the pan is too hot.
- 6Finish
Add remaining pasta water gradually to reach the desired consistency.
Plate and finish with an extra grind of coarse black pepper.
After the steps
Pick a recipe that fits this dish.
Continue with shared ingredients, meal pairings, or a similar method.
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