Fettuccini Carbonara with Broccolini

jillhough.com
Serves 4
Ingrediants

One 4-ounce piece of pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch dice (you should have about 1 cup) (see note below)
12 ounces fettuccine, or other favorite pasta
10 ounces broccolini (about 1 medium bunch), cut into 3/4-inch pieces (you should have about 3 1/2 cups)
4 large eggs
2/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (3 to 4 ounces), plus more for serving
1/3 cup finely grated Pecorino cheese (1 1/2 to 2 ounces), plus more for serving
2 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press or minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste

Preparation

In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, cook the pancetta, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pancetta to a large bowl. Set aside to cool.
In large pot of boiling, mildly salted water (1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt per quart), cook the fettuccine according to package directions. Stir in the broccolini 3 minutes before the pasta is al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, add the eggs, cheeses, garlic, and pepper to the bowl with the pancetta, whisking to combine.
Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta-cooking water, then drain. Immediately add the pasta and half of the reserved cooking water to the egg mixture, tossing to combine. Taste and add more pepper and/or cooking water if you like. Serve hot, passing additional cheese at the table.
NOTE Pancetta is an Italian bacon that comes shaped into a sliceable, sausage-like roll. Because it’s not smoked, it has a slightly different flavor than American bacon. Pancetta is available at the deli counter of most supermarkets, but if you can’t find it, substitute thick sliced bacon, cut into 1/4-inch strips. Besides using it in this recipe, you can use pancetta in almost any other dish that calls for bacon.