Nonnas Pasta With Eggs Pecorino And Sage Food

NONNA'S PASTA WITH EGGS, PECORINO AND SAGE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Chop onion, garlic and sage together until fairly fine. Generously film a 12-inch sauté pan with olive oil, and set over medium heat. Stir in onion mixture, and sprinkle with red pepper, salt and black pepper. Sauté until wilted, about 3 or 4 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and cover.
• Drop pasta in boiling water. Cook, stirring often, until slightly underdone.
• Scoop out about 1 cup of pasta water and reserve. As pasta gets close to being done, put the sauté pan over medium-low heat. Once it is warmed up, break the eggs into the pan, and cook a few minutes, until white is barely opaque.
• Meanwhile, drain pasta in colander. Turn into pan with eggs, and toss for a few minutes over medium-low heat until the eggs cling to the pasta. Add a little reserved pasta water to loosen it up, if necessary. Taste for seasoning; be generous with black pepper. Serve in heated bowls, passing cheese at the table.

PASTA WITH PECORINO AND PEPPER

Steps:

• Place the peppercorns in a mortar and pestle and crush them until you have a mixture of coarse and fine bits. (You can also grind them in a small food mill or coffee grinder.) Set aside.
• Fill a large, heavy-bottomed pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package until al dente. Ladle 1 cup of the pasta cooking water into a glass measuring cup and reserve it. Drain the pasta quickly in a colander and return the pasta to the pot with a lot of the pasta water still dripping.
• Working quickly, with the heat on very low, toss the pasta with 1/2 cup of the grated Pecorino, the crushed peppercorns, cream, butter, parsley, and 1 teaspoon salt, tossing constantly. If the pasta seems dry, add some of the reserved cooking water. Off the heat, toss in the remaining 1/2 cup Pecorino. Serve immediately with a big bowl of extra grated Pecorino for sprinkling.

CARBONARA (GUANCIALE, EGG, AND PECORINO ROMANO)

Steps:

• Put the guanciale and oil in a large skillet. Sauté over medium heat until the edges of the guanciale pieces are just turning brown, about 2 minutes. Don't let it get too crisp. Set the pan and its contents aside but keep warm.
• Bring 5 quarts (5 liters) of water to a boil in an 8-quart (8-liter) pot over high heat. When the water boils, add 3 tablespoons kosher salt, then add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente.
• While the pasta is cooking, break the eggs into a small bowl and add all the cheese and a generous grinding of pepper. Whisk gently until the mixture is smooth.
• Drain the pasta (reserving and keeping warm a cup of its water) and put it in the skillet with the guanciale over low heat. Toss quickly to mix well.
• Holding the skillet slightly above but not touching the burner, pour the egg and cheese mixture in a stream into the pasta. Now, if you have the skill, toss the pasta with a deft movement of the wrist to blend all the contents of the pan. If you don't, remove the pan from the heat and mix quickly with two wooden spoons. If you have a warm spot, such as a food warmer or even over a pilot light, rest the pan there while you work.
• Whatever you do, work fast or the pasta will get cold and the eggs will stay raw and runny. Ideally the heat of the pasta will cook the egg just enough, and the sauce should be creamy. You can mix in a tiny bit of the reserved water to smooth things out, but you probably won't need to.
• Transfer to individual heated bowls or plates and serve instantaneously.

NONNA'S PASTA SAUCE

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
• Put meat on a baking tray and bake, until juices run clear, about 20 minutes Process the carrot and onion together in a food processor, till smooth.
• Fry garlic in oil in a large saucepan, add the carrot and onion and bay leaf, fry for 5 minutes.
• Add tomatoes and wine, bring to a boil.
• Lower heat to simmer and add the cooked meat, leaving whole.
• Add spices.
• Let simmer 2hrs on low.
• Serve over pasta.
• Top with freshly grated Parm cheese. When the sauce is ready to serve take the meat out and put on a serving dish and pass with the sauce.......the meat will be melt in your mouth good!!