Garlic and Sundried Tomato Carbonara

In a large pot, bring pasta water to a boil. Add plenty of salt—it should be “as salty as the Mediterranean Sea”.

Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook until very al dente, about a minute less than it says on the package. Stir every once in a while to keep the pasta from sticking together and to the bottom of the pot.

While the pasta is cooking, coarsely chop the garlic and sundried tomatoes.

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large heavy pot or pan over medium low heat (a Dutch oven works well because it stays hot for some time, which helps with cooking the eggs).

Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk until combined. Add the cheese and stir it into the eggs. Season with pepper and just a little bit of salt (not too much—remember, the cheese is salty).

About four minutes before the pasta is done, crank up the heat under the pot with the butter and olive oil in it to medium high/high. Add the garlic and sundried tomatoes. You want them to impart all of their flavor into the hot oil and the garlic to get cooked. Also, you need the oil to become very hot. Just make sure it really sizzles. It’s more fun that way and nothing will burn in those four short minutes.

Now you need to work fast: Drain the pasta and immediately add it to the hot oil, garlic and tomatoes. Stir vigorously to coat the pasta with the hot oil. Immediately after that, take the pot off the heat, add the egg mixture and stir even more vigorously. You want the eggs to get cooked by the hot pasta and oil but not become scrambled.

If you’ve worked fast enough, the eggs and cheese will turn into a creamy sauce and evenly cover the pasta. You can cover the pot with a lid and let it stand for a couple of minutes if you want to make sure that the eggs are thoroughly cooked. But don’t put the pot back onto the heat or the lovely sauce will stick to the bottom of the pot and you’ll have made a frittata.

Enjoy with a sprinkle of parsley and a little more salt, pepper and parmigiano reggiano to taste.