Linguini alla Carbonara

1. Whisk whole eggs and egg yolks in a large bowl along with the grated Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes. Set aside.

2. Set a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. When oil is hot add the pancetta. Cook the pancetta in the hot oil until browned then transfer to a paper towel to drain leaving the fat in pan. Add the butter to the reserved fat in the pan.

3. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to boil. When it’s boiling, add pasta and when water returns to boil, cook for 10 minutes until al dente.

4. While the pasta is cooking, set heat under the fats to low and stir in onions and frozen peas. Cook stirring occasionally until the pasta is about done. Add the garlic during the last minute of pasta cooking time then remove the vegetables from the heat.

5. When the pasta is done cooking, reserve ½ cup of the cooking water and set it aside. Then drain the pasta in a colander. Immediately transfer the hot drained pasta to the bowl with the eggs and cheese. Add ¾ of the cooked pancetta, stir to coat and then add the onion and pea mixture scraping all of the fat from the pan into the pasta. Stir again to combine. If desired add some of the reserved hot pasta water to thin the coated pasta. Transfer to a serving dish. Top with remaining pancetta and ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese and serve.

Notes:
– Please use caution in consuming raw or lightly cooked eggs due to the slight risk of food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly refrigerated, clean grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell. 
– Pancetta is similar to bacon but is not smoke-cured. You can substitute bacon for the pancetta in this recipe, but it will add a smoky flavor. If you do use bacon, cook the bacon without the olive oil, then drain the drippings from the pan after cooking the bacon and replace it with 2 tablespoons of olive oil before adding the butter.