Estimated Nutrition (whole recipe, rough)
What these numbers assume — 6 portions →
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Pasta | 1 cup cooked (140g) | 220 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Cheese | 1 oz (28g) cheddar | 113 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
Totals for the whole recipe, adding one typical portion per ingredient — listed above. Quantities in the recipe are not counted, so this is a rough guide only — not suitable for medical or dietary planning.
Ingredients
- For 4:
- 1 lb long pasta (spaghetti, linguine, etc)
- 3 whole eggs
- 3 oz or so hard cheese (this will be grated, about 1.5 or 2 cups by volume of Asiago, Pecorino Romano, Parmigiano Reggiano, or the like)
- Olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Kosher Salt
Directions
Fill your pot to about 3 inches from the top with water and bring to a rolling boil. Ladle about 2 cups of water into the bowl - this will warm it up, which will be useful later on. Add salt generously - I go with a small handful, maybe 1/4 cup. This will help to season the pasta, inside and out.
Add the pasta all at once, and stir it around with your tongs a bit to keep from sticking. Cook till al dente (the point when it no longer feels sticky in the back of your teeth). I take general guidance from the package instructions, but I usually start checking the pasta pretty frequently after about 6 minutes. It's done when it feels done.
While the pasta is cooking, grate the cheese (if you've not already done so).
When the pasta is almost done (but still sticks just a bit in the back of the teeth) dump the water out of the bowl and crack in the eggs. Beat, together with the cheese, until they are combined and the eggs show no large striations of yoke and white.
Place the colander in your sink (empty of dirty dishes, please!) and drain the pasta.
Place the drained pasta in the bowl with the eggs and stir vigorously and immediately with your tongs - the heat of the pasta will cook the eggs into a sauce, but if you don't move quickly they will be less sauce and more "clumps of cooked eggs in among the pasta."
Add olive oil - a good glug (about a tablespoon and a half to begin with, perhaps 2 tablespoons) and grind on LOTS of pepper. This is to taste, but I've seldom felt there was too much. Stir vigorously once more, and serve immediately.